LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

I 


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THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


The  Master  Preacher 

A  STUDY  OF  THE 
HOMILETICS  OF  JESUS 


BY  / 

V 

ALBERT  RICHMOND  BOND,  A.M.,  D.D. 

INTRODUCTION  BY 

EDWIN  CHARLES  DARGAN,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY 
150  NASSAU  STREET  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1910 

Br  AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY 


DEDICATED  TO 
RUTH,  MY  WIFE 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Foreword .  9 

Introduction  by  Dr.  Dargan . 11 

CHAPTER  I 

The  Preparation  for  Jesus’  Preaching . 13 

CHAPTER  II 


The  Effect  of  His  Audience  on  His  Preaching  .  .  29 

CHAPTER  III 

The  Point  of  Contact  in  His  Preaching . 43 

CHAPTER  IV 

The  Themes  of  His  Preaching . 54 

CHAPTER  V 

The  Discourse  Material  of  His  Preaching  ....  65 


CHAPTER  VI 

i?HE  Rhetorical  Form  of  His  Preaching . 71 

CHAPTER  VII 

The  Old  Testament  in  His  Preaching . 82 

CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Parables  in  His  Preaching . 93 

CHAPTER  IX 


The  Miracles  Related  to  His  Preaching . 105 

CHAPTER  X 

The  Polemics  of  His  Preaching . 118 


5 


6 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  XI 

The  Personal-Delivery  Element  of  His  Preaching  .  135 

CHAPTER  XII 

The  Psychology  of  Jesus  in  His  Preaching  ....  143 

CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Personal  Religion  of  Jesus  in  His  Preaching  .  .  162 

CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Gentleness  of  His  Preaching . 174 

CHAPTER  XV 

The  Simplicity  of  His  Preaching . 184 

CHAPTER  XVI 

'/  The  Originality  of  His  Preaching . 192 

CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Authority  of  His  Preaching . 201 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

The  Power  of  His  Preaching . 214 

CHAPTER  XIX 

The  Universals  of  His  Preaching . 227 

CHAPTER  XX 

The  Individualism  of  His  Preaching . 235 

CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Dramatic  Element  of  His  Preaching . 245 

CHAPTER  XXII 

The  Variety  of  His  Preaching  .........  254 


CONTENTS 


7 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

The  Progress  of  Method  in  His  Preaching  ....  262 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

The  Success  of  His  Preaching . 272 

CHAPTER  XXV 

The  Norm-Value  of  His  Preaching . 280 

Appendix  . 289 

Section  I.  The  Discourse  Material . 291 

Section  II.  The  Old  Testament  Quotations  ....  296 

Section  III.  The  Parables . 299 

Section  IV.  The  Miracles . 301 

Bibliography . 304 

Index . 307 

I.  The  Texts  of  Scripture . 307 

II.  The  Subjects . 308 


FOREWORD 


A  word  of  justification  may  be  allowed  a  new  book  which 
seeks  to  cover  any  part  of  the  work  of  the  Nazarene,  whose 
influence  has  created  such  a  vast  literature.  The  territory 
into  which  the  author  enters  to  blaze  a  trail  has  had  only 
incidental  and  accidental  pilgrims;  no  one  has  sought  to 
supply  the  map  of  its  treasures.  While  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  has  had  large  attention  from  scholars  as  to  the  ques¬ 
tions  of  biblical  theology,  there  has  not  been  published  any 
adequate  treatment  of  that  ministry  from  the  viewpoint  of 
homiletics.  Jesus  was  distinctively  the  Master  Preacher,  but 
his  preaching,  as  preaching,  has  been  neglected.  The  pres¬ 
ent  treatise  seeks  to  supply  this  neglect. 

The  author  has  worked  directly  from  the  sources,  seeking 
the  aid  of  other  workers  whenever  possible.  He  has  not 
burdened  the  pages  with  quotations,  for  the  point  of  view 
of  the  book  is  unique,  and  quotations  would  be  but  casual. 
The  references  to  the  Gospels  might  have  been  indefinitely 
enlarged,  for  no  statement  has  been  made  without  sufficient 
warrant  from  these,  but  space  has  forbidden.  The  quota¬ 
tions  have  been  made  from  the  American  Standard  Revised 
Bible  and  from  the  Greek  text  of  Westcott  and  Hort, 

The  Bibliography  includes  the  small  amount  of  special 
literature  upon  the  thesis  and  also  works  that  treat  of  the 
fundamental  and  contributory  topics.  The  preaching  of 
Jesus  connects  with  every  other  feature  of  his  mission  and 
message.  This  Bibliography  might  have  been  varied  or 
enlarged,  but  the  needs  of  those  who  might  be  interested  in 
the  subject  have  been  in  mind.  The  author  in  his  own 

9 


10 


FOREWORD 


preparation  for  this  treatise  has  not  been  confined  to  these 
books,  but  these  have  been  helpful  to  him. 

The  author  would  pay  his  debt  to  all  those  scholars  who 
have  helped  to  form  his  mould  and  power  of  thought.  Special 
joy  comes  from  the  privilege  to  render  thanks  to  Dr.  E.  C. 
Dargan,  Sometime  Professor  of  Homiletics  in  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  Louisville,  Kentucky.  As 
his  pupil  the  author  learned  to  love  the  general  theme  of 
homiletics,  and  it  was  at  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Dargan  that 
this  treatise  was  undertaken,  the  author  having  been  at¬ 
tracted  to  it  through  study  for  certain  magazine  articles  that 
he  prepared.  For  valuable  suggestions  and  for  criticism  of 
the  manuscript  thanks  are  also  returned. 

The  central  and  centralizing  desire  of  the  author  has  been 
to  present  the  preaching  of  Jesus  in  a  way  to  attract  the 
reader  to  the  Master  Preacher,  without  peer  or  rival  in  the 
history  of  oratory,  profane  or  sacred. 


INTRODUCTION 


In  the  vast  literature  in  which  every  aspect  of  the  life  and 
work  of  Jesus  has  been  presented  it  is  remarkable  that, 
comparatively,  so  little  appears  on  the  subject  of  this  volume. 
In  the  many  Lives  of  Christ  and  in  a  number  of  lectures  and 
detached  essays  the  preaching  of  the  Master  has  of  course 
received  study  and  notice,  but  commonly  the  treatment  is  of 
the  Thinker  and  Teacher  rather  than  of  the  Preacher. 
Certainly  these  characters  of  the  great  Person  cannot  be 
dissociated,  but  the  last  has  scarcely  received  its  due  em- 
phasis  in  study  and  exposition. 

If  there  are  any  books  whose  sole  and  distinctive  theme 
is  the  preaching  of  Jesus,  viewed  in  what  may  be  called  its 
homiletical  phases,  I  am  not  acquainted  with  them.  In  some 
of  the  histories,  lectures,  and  essays  given  to  preaching — as 
in  those  of  Broadus,  Stalker,  Armitage,  James,  Pattison, 
Wilkinson,  and  others — the  preaching  of  Jesus,  as  preaching, 
finds  illuminating  and  helpful  discussion;  but  the  study  is 
incidental  and  limited,  not  exclusive  and  elaborate.  A  few 
years  ago  a  little  German  treatise  on  the  preaching  of  Jesus 
(Jesus  und  seine  Predigt,  by  Schrenck)  fell  under  my  notice, 
but  its  method  is  exegetical  and  theological  rather  than 
homiletical. 

There  is,  therefore,  an  open  and  visible  place  in  Christian 
literature  for  such  a  study  as  Dr.  Bond  has  given  us  in  this 
treatise.  The  author’s  philosophic  and  scholarly  qualities  of 
mind  during  his  student  days  gave  promise  of  important 
fruitage  in  after  years,  and  the  patient  and  thoughtful  study 
evident  in  these  pages  amply  redeems  that  promise. 

11 


12 


INTRODUCTION 


The  selection  of  topics,  as  shown  in  the  chapter  headings, 
is  alike  comprehensive  and  discriminating,  giving  evidence 
of  careful  thought  and  of  vigorous  grasp  of  both  details  and 
general  principles.  The  treatment  of  the  topics  exhibits 
first-hand  and  thorough  study.  The  author’s  wide  reading 
is  apparent,  but  he  has  not  been  content  to  be  a  follower 
only.  And  so,  in  addition  to  its  general  and  special  value  as 
a  contribution  to  a  want  in  our  literature,  the  discussion  has 
a  newness  and  suggestiveness  of  its  own.  Nor  will  the 
devout  and  spiritual  tone  of  the  book  escape  the  reader’s 
notice.  Earnest  students  of  our  Lord’s  life  on  earth  will 
gratefully  welcome  this  thoughtful  survey  of  his  work  as  the 
Master  Preacher. 


E.  C.  Dargan. 


The  Master  Preacher 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  PREPARATION  FOR  JESUS’  PREACHING 

Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  world’s  Master  Preacher.  His 
ministry  was  brief  but  epochal.  Through  his  own  custom 
and  his  direction  for  the  later  ministry  of  the  apostles  Jesus 
created  the  Christian  pulpit.  His  preaching  was  cast  in  the 
Oriental,  Hebrew  forms  and  was  delivered  to  audiences  that 
varied  in  size  from  the  single  listener  to  the  vast  multitude. 
His  personality,  message,  and  method  drew  attention  from 
all  classes  of  people.  His  success  as  a  preacher  should  be 
measured  both  by  his  personal  mastery  of  his  audiences  and 
by  his  creation  of  the  ideals  that  have  controlled  the  homi- 
letical  methods  in  all  ages. 

The  Gospels  present  Jesus’  ministry  under  the  three 
aspects  of  teaching,  preaching,  and  miracles.  “And  Jesus 
went  about  in  all  Galilee,  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and 
preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  all  manner 
of  disease  and  all  manner  of  sickness  among  the  people.  ’  ’ 1 

Each  age  must  give  its  own  interpretation  to  truth.  This 
process  must  be  personal  and  individual,  and  determines 
the  amount  of  appropriation  of  truth,  while  the  spirit  of  the 
task  should  forbid  disregard  for  the  inheritance  from  the 
past  and  arrogance  for  present  attainments.  The  modern 
pulpit  with  its  familiarity  with  the  problems  of  the  world  has 

iMt.  4:23. 

13 


14 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


made  it  possible  to  give  a  new  interpretation  and  appreciation 
to  Jesus  as  the  Preacher  rather  than  the  Teacher. 

The  pedagogy  of  Jesus  has  had  abundant  study  and  expo¬ 
sition  both  as  to  form  and  materials  of  teaching,  but  the 
student  of  the  homiletics  of  Jesus  finds  himself  in  pioneer 
territory  and  difficulties.  The  following  series  of  studies  will 
fulfil  a  high  mission  if  a  new  outlook  upon  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  may  be  afforded.  The  desirable  justification  for  this 
effort  to  present  the  homiletics  of  Jesus  might  be  found  in 
three  facts:  the  function  of  the  teacher  has  materially  departed 
from  that  of  Jesus’  times,  requiring  a  present  recasting  of 
opinions;  the  present  ideals  of  the  pulpit  conform  better  now 
than  ever  to  those  ideals  that  were  behind  the  preaching  of 
Jesus;  the  Gospels  present  Jesus  in  the  work  of  preaching, 
teaching  not  being  broad  enough  to  compass  his  ministry. 

The  Gospels  describe  the  oral  ministry  of  Jesus  by  the 
terms  teaching  and  preaching.  Twenty-four  references  occur 
to  the  former  and  fourteen  to  the  latter.  Friend  and  foe  gave 
Jesus  the  title  of  the  Teacher,  while  the  true  insight  of  the 
writers  of  the  Gospels  did  not  overlook  the  elements  that 
made  him  the  Preacher. 

Teaching  has  for  its  purpose  the  instruction  in  principles 
and  customs,  whose  acceptance  may  be  reserved  by  the 
individual  for  his  own  convenience  and  deliberation ;  preach¬ 
ing  has  to  do  with  the  public  announcement  of  truth  with 
the  intention  to  secure  immediate  response  from  the  hearer. 
Both  terms  are  used  in  the  Gospels  to  record  the  same  event, 
the  distinctions  in  method  and  ideals  not  being  constantly 
observed.  The  Gospel  of  Mark  is  most  faithful  to  the  shades 
of  meaning  here.  The  preaching  of  Jesus  in  methods  and 
purpose  is  described  by  two  Greek  words,1  which  mean 
“the  proclamation  of  a  herald”  and  “the  publication  of  good 

1  KT]p{>aaij)-}  evayye\l£w. 


HIS  PREPARATION 


15 


tidings.”  While  teaching  and  preaching  would  naturally 
contain  common  traits,  it  seems  a  worthy  task  to  present 
the  ministry  of  Jesus  under  the  form  of  preaching,  referring 
his  theology  and  teachings  upon  great  themes  to  the  depart¬ 
ments  of  theology  and  pedagogy.  Preaching  is  the  more 
comprehensive  term. 

The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  related  to  certain  forces  of 
preparation.  A  preview  of  these  is  necessary  to  an  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  his  ministry. 

I.  The  Preparation  of  the  World 

1.  POLITICAL. — The  territorial  distribution  of  the  na¬ 
tions  of  the  civilized  wrorld  contributed  directly  to  the 
political  preparation  for  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  Previous 
to  the  New  Testament  times  many  nations  had  accomplished 
their  national  mission  and  had  gone  to  their  graves  with 
varied  degrees  of  honor.  To  some  of  these  not  even  the  hope 
of  an  awakening  in  later  upheavals  was  granted.  Heroic 
deeds  had  been  recorded  upon  obelisks,  pyramids,  clay 
tablets,  and  stones,  the  desire  for  national  immortality  reach¬ 
ing  beyond  the  national  tomb. 

The  historian  now  may  call  to  his  aid  the  results  of 
archseology  in  his  efforts  to  recast  these  ancient  civilizations 
and  to  discover  their  separate  contributions  to  the  experience 
and  progress  of  men.  A  correct  philosophy  of  history  would 
give  honorable  places  to  the  Egyptian,  the  Assyrian,  the 
Babylonian,  the  Hittite,  and  the  Macedonian  kingdoms,  for 
they  were  rich  and  powerful  in  their  day  of  glory,  while 
special  mention  would  come  to  the  Hebrew  nation  as  the 
most  direct  and  influential  contributor  to  the  preparatory 
forces  for  the  preaching  of  Jesus. 

In  the  New  Testament  times  five  nations  occupied  the 
known  world. 


16 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


In  the  far  East  the  Parthians  had  enlarged  their  national 
pride  and  joy  in  their  recent  success  in  stopping  the  eastward 
march  of  the  hitherto  victorious  Roman  legions. 

In  the  extreme  Northwest  the  German  tribes  were  begin¬ 
ning  to  grow  conscious  of  a  common  virility  of  character  that 
was  later  destined  to  put  new  life  into  the  world’s  political 
body. 

In  the  centre  of  civilization  the  Greeks  had  lost  their  na¬ 
tional  liberty  to  the  Romans,  but  had  found  a  high  revenge 
in  leading  their  captors  into  a  captivity  of  culture,  for  the 
Romans  adopted  Greek  ideas,  philosophy,  art,  language, 
and  literature. 

With  the  exception  of  the  far  East  Rome  was  the  mistress 
of  the  known  world.  Pompey  had  returned  from  his  victories 
in  the  East,  and  Caesar  had  turned  his  attention  to  the  Teu¬ 
tonic  hordes  that  had  already  become  a  menace.  Palestine 
was  under  Roman  rule,  for  the  Jewish  theocracy  had  lost 
rulership  in  the  Holy  City,  though  retaining  its  immortal 
function  as  the  world’s  schoolmaster  in  religion. 

The  Roman  world  holds  chief  interest  for  the  student  of 
the  formative  forces  of  the  New  Testament  times.  The 
internal  condition  of  Rome  exhibited  the  scars  of  intrigue 
and  conflict.  The  Republic  had  come  to  an  inglorious  end 
after  a  bitter  and  turbulent  course,  for  the  dream  of  eternal 
supremacy  had  been  rudely  interrupted  by  the  ambitions 
of  Pompey  and  the  Caesars.  The  Roman  eagle,  once  the 
emblem  of  liberty,  now  represented  the  Empire.  The  Civil 
Wars  had  ceased  and  the  Gates  of  Janus,  open  in  times  of 
war,  were  now  closed  for  the  first  time  since  the  close  of  the 
Punic  Wars.  Caesar  Augustus  was  the  master  of  the  world 
and  the  head  of  Rome. 

Roman  imperialism,  seeking  to  include  the  whole  world 
under  the  dominion  of  the  Eternal  City,  permitted  the  gospel 


HIS  PREPARATION 


17 


of  Jesus  to  secure  a  diffusion  throughout  the  whole  world. 
Jesus  found  the  world  under  one  authority,  since  the  far 
East  remained  in  the  untouched  shadows  of  information 
and  influence.  From  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  whose 
willows  in  the  long  ago  received  the  harps,  untouched  and 
silent  from  sympathy  with  a  captive  people,  the  sceptre  of 
Rome  reached  westward  over  desert  and  fertile  plain,  river 
and  mountain,  even  across  the  sea  to  beautiful  Hispania, 
and  men  bowed  the  knee  in  sullen  or  ready  obedience.  A 
common  voice  of  authority  was  heard  amid  the  arid  sands  of 
Africa,  whose  very  wastes  yielded  some  tribute  to  the  uni¬ 
versal  hand  of  greed,  the  echoes  of  this  voice  also  coming  afar 
from  the  Gallic  hills  of  the  North,  where  the  impulse  of 
freedom  was  beginning  to  quicken  the  pulse  of  these  hardy 
sons  of  the  forest.  The  peace  of  a  supreme  power  over  the 
nations  gave  a  certain  silence,  in  which  could  be  heard  the 
choral  of  the  universal,  spiritual  peace  of  the  “  Gloria  in 
Excelsis.”1  Great  roads,  built  from  the  capital  to  the  prov¬ 
inces,  allowed  the  Roman  soldiery  to  keep  in  close  touch  with 
the  outlying  districts,  thus  compacting  the  system  and  afford¬ 
ing  opportunity  and  protection  to  travellers. 

2.  SOCIAL. — The  social  order  of  the  Roman  world  fur¬ 
nished  proper  conditions  for  an  evangel  that  might  guarantee 
the  equalization  of  privileges  and  burdens.  Mutual  antip¬ 
athy  between  the  rich  and  the  poor  had  been  intensified; 
the  former  rejoiced  in  their  luxuries  and  scorned  their 
unfortunate  neighbors;  the  latter  groaned  under  mistreatment 
and  trouble  and  were  filled  with  envy  and  hatred  for  the 
favorites  of  prosperity;  neither  class  regarded  the  rights  of 
the  other. 

Slavery  had  depreciated  the  value  of  life  by  the  very  large¬ 
ness  of  the  number  of  dependents.  It  has  been  estimated 

1  Lk.  2: 14. 


2 


IB 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


that  there  were  at  this  time  six  million  slaves  in  the  Empire. 
To  this  multitude  of  unfortunates  add  the  two  hundred 
thousand  beggars  fed  by  the  bounty  of  the  State,  and  the 
total  results  in  a  mass  of  restless  malcontents  who  became 
a  menace  to  the  Empire  and  an  appeal  to  the  Gospel  of 
Freedom. 

Amid  such  discordant  misery  the  Emperor’s  boast  about 
his  marble  capital  city  would  appear  cruelly  inhuman.  The 
national  amusement,  favored  by  rich  and  poor,  brought 
immense  crowds  to  witness  the  gladiatorial  contests,  thereby 
cultivating  an  almost  insatiable  taste  for  blood  and  reward¬ 
ing  excesses  of  torture. 

Successful  commercialism  with  its  ease  and  power  followed 
this  political  unity  of  the  known  world.  For  the  first  time 
people  enjoyed  the  opportunity  for  travel  in  order  to  seek 
health,  recreation,  and  culture.  Sacred  shrines  and  places 
of  special  interest  received  visits  from  many  pilgrims,  while 
students  flocked  from  all  countries  into  the  great  universities. 
Provincialism  in  contact,  customs  and  beliefs  gave  place  to 
a  cosmopolitanism  that  permitted  the  apostles  to  have  a  free 
and  quiet  entrance  into  any  city,  although  they  should  bring 
a  new  religion. 

The  same  story  of  degraded  morals  and  ethical  ideals  is 
told  by  the  Apostle  Paul  and  the  contemporary  Roman 
writers.  With  Greek  art,  religion,  and  philosophy  came  also 
repulsive  licentiousness,  for  the  Romans  could  not  have  con¬ 
tact  with  the  sensuous  without  becoming  sensual.  The 
common  standard  of  decency  had  been  lowered  until  the 
Roman  writers  sought  to  justify  the  current  wickedness. 
The  conquest  of  the  world  centralized  in  Rome  all  the  vices 
of  the  conquered  nations,  Oriental  and  Greek  sins  combining 
to  corrupt  the  Mistress  of  the  World.  Drunk  with  prosperity 
and  power,  Rome  learned  to  condone  the  loss  of  purity  among 


HIS  PREPARATION 


19 


her  men  and  women  alike.  Infanticide,  drunkenness,  glut¬ 
tony,  extravagance,  debauchery  of  unmentionable  sorts,  and 
suicide  were  but  commonplaces  of  sin,  for  which  no  one 
sought  denial  or  blushed  for  the  pollution. 

The  voice  of  a  preacher  of  personal  righteousness  was 
needed  to  restore  moral  sanity  and  purity.  The  dense  dark¬ 
ness  of  sin  could  be  relieved  only  by  that  light  which  would 
bring  a  new  life  to  men.  The  lesson  of  individual  worth  must 
be  taught  in  order  to  give  due  regard  to  uprightness  of  char¬ 
acter  and  proper  regard  for  the  oppressed. 

3.  LITERARY. — At  the  opening  of  the  New  Testament 
period  the  classic  era  of  Greek  literature  lay  three  centuries 
in  the  past,  while  Rome  had  touched  the  outer  rim  of  her 
Golden  Age.  Livy  had  just  finished  his  works  and  Ovid  was 
yet  writing.  The  Stoic  philosophy  'with  its  materialism  and 
pantheism  had  developed  the  austere  life,  in  which  were 
lacking  the  gentle  and  noble  emotions,  while  the  Epicureans 
taught  men  to  gratify  every  passion  and  to  dull  their  senses 
to  all  but  the  grosser  impulses.  Greek  and  Roman  classic 
literature  did  not  contain  the  forces  of  moral  reformation; 
they  hastened  the  decay  of  national  ideals  of  morality.  The 
process  of  deterioration  could  be  stopped  only  by  a  forceful 
personality  with  a  regenerating  message  and  power.  The 
preaching  of  Jesus  could  fulfil  this  demand,  for  it  could 
present  both  the  ideal  and  the  power  for  moral  purity. 

The  history  of  oratory  discovers  the  literary  contribution 
to  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  The  pulpit  is  the  distinctive 
product  of  Christianity.  Other  religions  had  commissioned 
prophet  and  priest  with  messages  and  ceremonials,  for  num¬ 
berless  deities  received  the  popular  worship  at  temples, 
shrines,  and  altars.  From  the  earliest  times  spoken  dis¬ 
course,  ranging  from  the  brief  outburst  of  passion  to  the  de¬ 
veloped  oration,  must  have  been  employed  to  stir  men  to  ac- 


20 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


tion,  but  Christianity  gave  to  the  preacher  his  vocation  of 
turning  men  to  right  living  through  the  means  of  oral  dis¬ 
course. 

The  greatest  non-Semitic  factor  in  the  preparation  for  the 
preaching  of  Jesus  was  Grecian.  The  ideals  of  culture  in 
Egypt,  Babylonia,  and  Assyria  did  not  enter  Christian  preach¬ 
ing,  for  these  countries  did  not  have  sufficient  moulding 
influence  upon  the  ancient  Hebrews.  The  Greek  orators 
easily  became  the  world’s  teachers  in  oratory.  The  blind 
bard  of  Greece  with  his  matchless  poetry  had  quickened  the 
national  appreciation  of  the  power  of  the  Greek  language, 
while  his  success  and  poetry  gave  inspiration  to  later  orators 
to  strive  for  greater  perfection  in  their  work.  The  course  of 
oratory  increased  in  grandeur  from  the  time  of  its  crude 
awakening  of  conscious  power  until  its  culmination  locally 
in  Athens  and  personally  in  Demosthenes.  Schools  of 
rhetoric  were  organized. 

Three  divisions  may  be  observed  in  the  history  of  Greek 
oratory,  the  purpose  of  each  method  determining  the  form 
of  address.  The  political  oration  was  concerned  with  the 
problems  of  statecraft,  and  the  orator  became  the  states¬ 
man.  The  forensic  oration  dealt  with  the  more  restricted 
matters  of  the  civic  community,  in  which  legal  and  municipal 
interests  centred,  while  the  orator  became  the  lawyer.  The 
declamatory  oration  cultivated  the  art  of  criticism,  whose 
type  as  censure  or  praise  was  received  from  the  nature  and 
purpose  of  the  occasion  of  delivery,  while  the  orator  became 
the  demagogue. 

Greek  oratory  in  its  basic  conceptions  was  differentiated 
from  preaching  by  the  religious  element.  The  Greek  orators 
did  not  appeal  to  the  conscience  to  stir  the  individual  to  better 
living,  did  not  alter  the  channels  of  the  affections,  and  did 
not  offer  any  initiative  toward  righteousness.  The  form  of 


HIS  PREPARATION 


21 


the  sermon,  as  a  definite,  well-articulated,  and  purposeful 
address,  was  contributed  by  Greek  oratory,  but  the  purpose 
and  certain  methods  could  not  be  suggested,  because  Greek 
oratory  lacked  the  religious  element.  Roman  oratory  fol¬ 
lowed  the  Greek  models  and  continued  their  defects.  But 
Grseco-Roman  oratory  accustomed  the  world  to  listen  to 
serious  public  discourse.  In  this  way  the  pulpit  had  its 
precursor. 

After  the  conquest  of  Greece  by  Rome  the  Greek  language 
rapidly  spread  through  the  civilized  world.  It  displaced  all 
others  for  commercial  and  literary  purposes,  for  it  was  flexible 
in  construction,  rhythmical,  pictorial,  and  philosophical, 
lending  itself  equally  well  to  the  needs  of  the  poet,  the  lawyer, 
the  merchant,  and  the  religionist.  It  won  the  place  of  the 
world’s  vernacular.  Jesus  found  this  world  language  well 
suited  to  his  preaching,  since  it  allowed  accurate  presentation 
of  truth,  vigorous  and  gentle  appeals  to  the  emotions,  and 
understanding  by  learned  and  ignorant.  The  reports  of 
Jesus’  preaching  remain  to  us  in  the  Greek;  he  probably 
spoke  both  Aramaic  and  Greek. 

Hebrew  oratory  was  a  lineal  ancestor  of  Christian  preach¬ 
ing.  The  prophet  was  the  “seer”  1  and  the  “announcer”2 
of  the  message  of  Jehovah,  method  of  reception  and  delivery 
of  truth  being  indicated  in  these  two  words,  descriptive  of 
the  holy  office.  The  prophet  was  to  receive  a  divine  truth, 
mediated  through  dream,  oral  word,  or  theophany,  and  this 
should  be  the  message  for  him  to  deliver.  By  the  nature  of 
his  office  and  by  the  people’s  expectation  the  prophet  was 
prohibited  the  personal  element  of  his  own  opinions.  “Thus 
saith  Jehovah”  must  preface  the  message  in  order  to  give  it 
the  imperative  of  duty  and  revelation.  Emphasis  was  given  to 
the  subordination  of  the  messenger.  The  Christian  preacher 

1  nab  2 


22 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


inherits  this  prophetic  acceptance  of  the  divine  initiation  of 
the  message,  but  he  limits  his  ministry  to  the  interpretation 
and  enforcement  of  a  revealed  message,  while  the  prophet 
was  the  medium  of  new  revelations.  Jesus  was  both  Prophet 
and  Preacher  and  excelled  in  both  vocations. 

Prediction  of  future  and  even  remote  events  entered 
prophecy.  Certain  scholars  have  sought  to  eliminate  this 
predictive  element  upon  the  plea  that  the  prophet  could  not 
have  been  able  to  forecast  events  and  conditions,  political  or 
social  and  religious,  of  a  century  or  more  later  than  his  own 
day.  However,  such  a  view  overlooks  the  fact  that  the 
prophet  and  the  people  confessed  that  from  Jehovah,  not 
from  man,  came  the  vision,  the  man  sometimes  but  dimly 
appreciating  the  full  import  of  the  message.  Such  a  recog¬ 
nition  of  the  divine  source  removes  predictive  prophecy  from 
the  realm  of  human  ignorance  and  errors. 

Regardless  of  the  method  of  communication,  a  divine 
revelation  should  guarantee  its  validity.  Popular  reception 
of  this  prophetic  office  and  function  in  the  day  of  Jesus  pre¬ 
pared  the  way  for  his  own  ministry,  which  contained  this 
predictive  element.  A  few  examples  may  be  cited.1  He  gave 
direction  for  the  great  draught  of  fish,  he  sent  Peter  to  take 
the  coin  from  the  mouth  of  the  fish,  he  told  the  disciples  how 
to  find  the  ass  in  the  city,  he  mentioned  the  man  with  the 
pitcher  of  water.  These  forecasts  could  not  have  been  keen 
guesses,  though  the  events  were  in  the  immediate  future. 
He  more  than  once  declared  his  approaching  sufferings, 
death,  and  resurrection,  he  warned  his  followers  of  harsh 
treatment,  and  outlined  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Later  Christian  preachers,  certain  apostles  excepted, 
have  not  possessed  this  predictive  power. 


i  Lk.  5:4;  Mt.  17:27;  21:2,  3;  Mk.  14:13;  Mt.  16:  21f|;  17:  22,  23||; 
20: 18,  19 j  | ;  Lk.  21: 12;  Mk.  4:  26-29.  ]{  denotes  parallel  passages. 


HIS  PREPARATION 


23 


Jesus  also  resembled  the  prophet  in  his  appeal  to  his  own 
generation.  The  prophet  was  a  force  for  righteousness,  daring 
to  rebuke  king  and  people  for  personal  and  national  sins  and 
defection  from  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  Herein  another  line 
of  preparation  for  the  preaching  of  Jesus  was  found.  With 
quiet  but  commanding  dignity  Jesus  brought  to  his  own  times 
sharp  ethical  rebukes  and  gracious  invitations  to  a  higher 
life.  Suggestions  were  here  made  for  the  ministry  of  his 
successors  who  should  stand  in  rough  or  ornamented  pulpits, 
amid  the  hills  or  on  the  plains,  in  chapel  or  cathedral,  to 
declare  the  gospel  of  the  Nazarene.  Hebrew  prophecy  ac¬ 
cented  this  trait  of  the  preacher. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  brilliant  discourses  of  the  proph¬ 
ets  may  not  be  given  here,  but  may  be  listed  in  two  great 
periods. 

First  Period. — From  the  time  of  Samuel,  1050  B.  c.,  to  the 
time  of  Jeremiah,  629  b.  c.,  including  the  ministries  of 
Samuel,  Elijah,  Elisha,  Obadiah,  Joel,  Jonah,  Amos,  Hosea, 
Isaiah,  Micah,  Jeremiah,  and  others  less  prominent. 

Second  Period. — From  the  Exile,  605  b.  c.,  to  the  close  of 
the  prophetic  office,  433  b.  c.,  embracing  the  work  of  Daniel, 
Ezekiel,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi.  Then  followed 
four  centuries  of  silence,  unbroken  by  a  single  prophetic  voice. 

The  form  of  prophecy  varied  from  the  brief,  pithy  saying 
to  the  extended  discourse.  Illustrations  and  comparisons 
might  adorn  the  address,  while  again  it  would  be  direct  and 
bare.  The  audiences  included  kings,  multitudes,  and  select 
individuals.  The  message  stirred  to  political,  martial,  and 
religious  action,  warned  the  chosen  nation  against  danger, 
enemies,  and  death,  comforted  the  fearful  and  troubled  heart, 
and  made  Jehovah’s  presence  very  real  to  men.  Jesus 
received  this  heritage  of  prophetical,  oratorical  method, 
rejoicing  in  his  privilege  to  speak  to  a  prepared  people. 


24 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


4.  RELIGIOUS. — In  the  New  Testament  times  the  Roman 
world  worshipped  the  divinities  of  Greek  and  Roman  origin. 
Their  number  was  great  and  increased  with  the  constant 
desire  for  new  objects  of  worship.  These  divinities  were 
largely  deified  men  and  women,  who  retained  their  human 
frailties  and  passions,  though  endowed  with  greater  than 
human  powers.  Hero-worship  reached  its  maximum  privi¬ 
lege  and  value,  since  a  heroic  life  or  deed  might  result  in  a 
new  deification. 

Three  baneful  results  came  from  this  method  of  making 
gods:  the  standard  of  deity  was  lowered  almost  to  earthly 
limits  of  personality;  a  debased  view  of  sin  was  inevitable, 
since  human  depravity  might  be  justified  through  appeal  to 
the  enmities  and  passions  of  the  gods;  skepticism  readily 
increased  and  developed  into  disregard  for  worship  and  even 
passed  into  atheism,  for  such  deities  could  not  command 
constant  belief  in  their  own  powder  or  even  existence. 

The  final  loss  of  temporal  power  sent  the  Jew  throughout 
the  Roman  Empire  to  find  relief  from  national  dishonor  in  a 
commercialism  to  which  the  captors  must  look  with  respect 
and  sometimes  for  aid.  Every  fair-sized  city  could  boast  of 
its  Jewish  colony,  in  "which  "were  observed  the  customs, 
traditions,  and  worship  handed  down  from  the  fathers.  The 
nucleus  of  the  Christian  congregation  was  here  preserved. 

The  Hebrew  Scriptures  were  written  by  a  large  number  of 
men,  separated  by  long  periods  of  time.  These  writings  were 
gradually  gathered  into  one  collection  and  became  the  canon, 
or  rule  of  faith.  The  office  of  the  prophet  ended  with  Malachi. 
The  interpretation  of  truth  then  became  the  duty  of  the 
religious  teacher.  The  rabbis,  teachers,  masters,  doctors, 
lawyers,  and  scribes  belonged  to  this  class  of  interpreters. 
New  conditions  of  religious  service  gave  rise  to  this  profes¬ 


sion. 


HIS  PREPARATION 


25 


The  Exile  had  cured  the  Jews  of  the  sin  of  idolatry,  while 
national  and  religious  zeal  grew  tense  under  political  distress 
and  servitude.  To  these  discontented  people  the  message  of 
Jehovah,  with  the  mingling  of  the  individual  and  personal 
promises  with  the  theocratic  hopes,  would  strongly  appeal. 
These  leaders  instructed  the  people  along  certain  religious 
lines,  and  the  success  of  specially  brilliant  men  led  to  the 
formation  of  schools  of  interpretation  with  different  methods 
of  teaching  the  Scriptures.  Sects  arose  partly  from  this 
variety  of  instruction  and  partly  from  the  political  misfortunes 
of  the  Jews.  Here  are  to  be  classed  the  Pharisees,  the 
Sadducees,  the  Herodians,  and  the  Essenes,  from  all  of  whom 
some  kind  of  preparation  was  derived  for  the  preaching  of 
Jesus. 

The  synagogue  furnished  the  initial  place  and  certain  forms 
of  worship  for  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  The  time  and  place  of 
origin  of  the  synagogue  may  not  be  accurately  determined, 
but  it  increased  in  numbers  and  influence  after  the  return  of 
the  Jews  from  the  Exile  under  the  leadership  of  Nehemiah 
in  445  B.  c.  The  Exile  had  corrupted  the  Hebrew  language 
into  its  Aramaic  dialect,  while  the  Scriptures  still  remained 
in  the  Hebrew^,  which  was  not  spoken  by  those  of  the  people 
who  were  born  in  and  after  the  Exile.  Tradition  credits 
Ezra  with  the  crude  beginning  of  the  custom  of  the  synagogue 
worship,  when  he  assembled  the  people  to  hear  the  newly 
discovered  copy  of  the  Law.  “And  the  Levites  caused  the 
people  to  understand  the  Law;  and  the  people  stood  in  their 
place.  They  read  in  the  book,  in  the  law  of  God,  distinctly; 
and  they  gave  the  sense,  so  that  they  understood  the  read¬ 
ing.”  1  It  is  highly  probable  that  an  Aramaic  paraphrase  of 
the  Hebrew  was  given  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  did  not 
fully  understand  the  ancient  Hebrew  text. 

1  Neh.  8:8. 


26 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


II.  The  Preparation  of  the  Preacher 

1.  HIS  HOME-LIFE. — The  personal  preparation  of 
Jesus  the  preacher  began  in  his  home-life.  Through  his 
mother  his  ancestry  continued  the  blood  of  King  David. 
The  “Magnificat” 1  reveals  the  tender  and  poetic  graces  of 
his  mother,  whose  refinement  of  feeling  and  largeness  of  faith 
in  God  must  have  had  their  pre-natal  culture  upon  the  child 
Jesus.  Though  probably  not  different  from  the  ordinary 
home  of  the  peasant  class  in  its  arrangements,  this  home  must 
have  been  specially  ennobled  by  the  great  expectation  that 
spiritualized  the  days  of  Mary  and  Joseph,  who  could  not 
forget  their  extraordinary  visions  and  experiences. 

The  boy  Jesus  enjoyed  the  advice  and  training  of  pious 
parents,  the  home-life  of  the  Jews  being  specially  careful  of 
the  religious  hopes  of  the  children.  Companionship  with 
other  children  in  the  home  and  village  would  preserve  the 
naturalness  of  youth  in  Jesus.  The  Gospels  confirm  their 
greatness  over  the  Apocryphal  Gospels  in  the  sanity  of  the 
records  about  Jesus.  There  are  no  extravagant  stories  of 
youthful  marvels. 

2.  HIS  EDUCATION. — Jesus  probably  attended  the 
village  school  of  Nazareth,  the  curriculum  not  being  very 
extensive.  His  course  here  could  not  have  been  very  promi¬ 
nent,  nor  did  he  go  abroad  to  study  in  any  famous  rabbinical 
school,  for  the  critics  of  his  ministry  charged  him  with  the 
failure  to  learn  letters,  while  they  were  astonished  at  his 
learning.2 

Jesus  probably  knew  three  languages.  The  current 
language  of  the  Jews  of  Palestine  was  Aramaic,  a  dialect  of 
the  Hebrew;  as  a  Jew  he  would  inherit  this  native  tongue  and 
begin  its  use  at  his  mother’s  knee.  His  familiarity  with  the 

1  Lk.  1:46-55.  2  Jn.  7:15. 


HIS  PREPARATION 


27 


Old  Testament  in  the  original  Hebrew  shows  his  knowledge 
of  the  ancient  Hebrew.  Mary  and  Joseph  doubtless  taught 
him  this  language,  for  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for 
pious  Jews  to  learn  to  read  their  sacred  writings.  Greek  was 
the  vernacular  of  the  civilized  world,  the  contact  of  the  streets 
being  a  sufficient  teacher. 

The  boy  Jesus  would  occasionally  get  a  report  of  the  topics 
of  world-wide  interest,  as  some  traveller  might  pass  through 
his  town.  After  his  twelfth  year  the  annual  visit  to  Jerusalem 
would  have  great  educational  value,  for  pilgrims  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  would  discuss  many  subjects  interesting  to 
a  boy,  while  the  journey  itself  would  suggest  many  historic 
places  and  incidents  in  the  life  of  his  people.  All  these  forces 
helped  in  his  mental  and  spiritual  development,  but  his  chief 
source  of  growth  lay  beyond  the  direction  of  earthly  teachers. 

3.  SILENT  YEARS  AT  NAZARETH.— Only  one  brief 
glimpse  of  Jesus  comes  to  us  from  those  thirty  years  at 
Nazareth.  The  silence  of  communion  with  the  unseen  verities 
enfolds  this  period  of  preparation.  Speculation  might  suggest 
many  questions,  but  his  daily  life  would  not  appear  more 
fully  opened  to  us,  even  were  such  questions  answered.  His 
social  life  brought  him  into  contact  with  men  who  were 
sinners,  for  Nazareth  had  gained  the  unenviable  reputation 
indicated  in  the  slur  of  the  interrogatory,  “Can  any  good 
thing  come  out  of  Nazareth  ?”  1  He  could  develop  his  inner 
life  through  meditation  and  prayer,  being  free  from  the  rush 
and  confusion  of  the  world.  His  public  life  indicated  habits 
that  doubtless  began  in  youth. 

4.  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  THE  DIVINE.— Jesus  had  the 
largest  preparation  for  his  ministry  in  his  consciousness  of 
the  divine  will  and  revelation.  His  appreciation  of  his  Mes¬ 
sianic  vocation  may  have  been  gradual,  but  it  had  come  to 

i  Jn.  1:46. 


28 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


full  fruition  by  the  opening  of  his  public  work.  The  Father 
must  have  given  frequent  and  intimate  communications  to 
the  Son  in  his  days  of  development  for  his  singular  task  for  a 
sinful  world.  Students  may  not  violate  the  sacredness  of  the 
union  of  the  human  and  the  divine  forces  that  entered  into 
the  personality  of  Jesus.  One  may  confidently  affirm  that 
Jesus  received  his  best  preparation  for  his  ministry  from  the 
fact  of  his  being  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  man.  In  this 
realm  of  glorious  mystery  lay  his  immeasurable  greatness  as  a 
thinker  and  preacher. 


CHAPTER  II 


EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE  ON  HIS  PREACHING 


The  ministry  of  Jesus  was  not  limited  to  the  village  au¬ 
diences.  It  might  have  been  expected  that  the  thirty  years  of 
the  quiet  life  at  Nazareth  would  have  made  Jesus  a  rural 
preacher.  His  message  came  with  the  wideness  of  a  divine 
revelation  to  the  world,  his  character  fulfilled  the  require¬ 
ment  of  the  Preacher-Saviour,  and  his  audiences  comported 
in  dignity  and  extent  with  his  holy  vocation.  He  addressed 
the  small  rural  gatherings  as  freely  as  the  congested  outflow 
of  the  towns  and  cities,  while  groups  and  individuals  received 
the  same  care  that  was  given  to  the  multitudes.  The  method 
of  his  preaching  was  largely  influenced  by  his  audience. 

I.  The  Audience  Chamber 

1.  TEMPLE  AND  SYNAGOGUES.— Preaching  naturally 
connects  with  the  place  of  worship.  Jesus  did  not  become  a 
resident  preacher  for  any  city,  court,  synagogue,  or  temple. 
He  visited  many  communities  preaching  the  gospel  of  the 
kingdom.  The  Temple  at  Jerusalem  would  specially  appeal 
to  him  as  a  pious  Hebrew.  The  Temple  was  intended  for 
worship  through  sacrifices,  and  did  not  contain  an  assembly 
hall  for  public  addresses,  but  Jesus  mingled  with  the  crowds 
especially  in  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles.  Hither  would  come 
the  Gentile  proselyte  with  his  desire  to  laud  his  newly  em¬ 
braced  religion,  the  various  religious  leaders  with  their  zeal 
to  guard  the  interests  of  Judaism,  the  pious  Hebrew  with 

29 


30 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


his  consecration  to  the  worship  of  the  God  of  his  fathers, 
the  lonely  woman  with  her  prayer  for  strength  for  daily 
endurance,  the  Pharisee  with  his  ostentatious  alms  and 
prayers,  and  the  penitent  publican  with  his  cry  for  forgiveness. 
Such  a  variety  of  characters  would  give  to  the  Temple  great 
attraction  as  a  place  of  preaching.  Sacred  memories  would 
gather  around  the  place,  because  God’s  favors  upon  individual 
worshippers  and  the  nation  had  been  here  indicated. 

The  Gospels  furnish  three  general  references  to  the  cus¬ 
tom  of  Jesus  to  use  the  Temple  for  preaching:  “And  he  was 
teaching  daily  in  the  Temple.  But  the  chief  priests  and  the 
scribes  and  the  principal  men  of  the  people  sought  to  destroy 
him:  and  they  could  not  find  what  they  might  do;  for  the 
people  all  hung  upon  him,  listening.”  1  His  attraction  for  the 
crowds  in  the  Temple  is  further  indicated:  “And  every  day 
he  was  teaching  in  the  Temple;  and  every  night  he  went  out, 
and  lodged  in  the  mount  that  is  called  Olivet.  And  all  the 
people  came  early  in  the  morning  to  him  in  the  Temple,  to 
hear  him.”  2  This  part  of  the  Temple  ministry  was  during 
the  Passion  Week.  Jesus  rebuked  his  captors  for  their 
failure  to  arrest  him  during  his  synagogue  or  Temple  ministry 
for  fear  of  the  people.3  The  nighttime  and  the  seclusion  of 
Gethsemane  were  better  suited  to  their  nefarious  plan. 

Four  passages  preserve  the  substance  of  the  short  frag¬ 
mentary  sayings  delivered  in  the  Temple.4  With  severe 
scorn  for  the  desecrators  of  the  sanctuary  Jesus  drove  out  the 
money-changers  upon  two  occasions;  while  sitting  over 
against  the  treasury  and  watching  the  stream  of  worshippers, 
he  commended  the  small  but  complete  offering  of  the  widow; 

1  Lk.  19:  47,  48. 

2  Lk.  21:37. 

3Mt.  26:55. 

4  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  2,  Nos.  6,  42,  44,  45. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


31 


his  prophecy  of  the  overthrow  of  the  Temple  was  spoken 
while  his  disciples  were  exhibiting  the  beautiful  buildings  of 
the  Temple.  It  will  be  observed  as  noteworthy  that  in  all 
these  references  and  fragmentary  sayings  the  form  and  the 
material  of  his  preaching  have  bearing  upon  the  Temple 
itself.  The  place  and  the  preaching  harmonized. 

The  seven  Temple  discourses  of  Jesus  gathered  imagery 
and  meaning  from  the  sacred  place  of  historic  worship.1 
The  Feast  discussion  treats  of  topics  connected  with  the 
Temple,  for  Moses  and  the  Law  were  being  interpreted  by 
Jesus  differently  from  the  current  method.  In  contrast  to  the 
prevailing  religious  bondage  and  darkness,  increased  by  the 
contemporary  teachers,  Jesus  declared  that  in  himself  could 
be  found  freedom  and  light  for  the  world.  Walking  in 
Solomon’s  Porch  during  the  Feast  of  Dedication,  held  in 
winter,  Jesus  declared  his  Messiahship  and  aroused  the 
hatred  of  the  religious  leaders.  These  three  discourses  are 
peculiar  to  John.  The  four  Synoptical  discourses  contain  the 
challenged  authority  of  Jesus,  the  three  Jewish  questions, 
the  unanswerable  question  of  Jesus,  and  the  justly  severe 
denunciation  of  the  Pharisees. 

Jesus  did  not  perform  any  miracle  in  the  Temple  and 
delivered  only  one  parable  there,  that  of  the  Pharisee  and  the 
Publican.  The  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  refers  to  the 
officers  of  the  Temple. 

Since  the  Temple  focused  the  entire  attention  of  worship 
of  the  sacrificial  sort  to  itself,  Jesus  could  not  afford  to  neglect 
the  opportunity  thus  presented,  while  his  larger  work  for  all 
men  carried  him  beyond  the  Temple  precincts.  Other  parts 
of  the  land  must  share  in  the  favor  granted  to  Jerusalem. 

The  synagogue  was  the  logical  place  for  the  inception  of 
Christian  preaching.  After  the  Exile  the  number  of  syna- 
1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  21,  22,  32,  47,  48,  49. 


32 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


gogues  had  rapidly  increased,  every  Jewish  community  having 
one  or  more.  The  rabbis  boasted  that  Jerusalem  at  one  time 
contained  more  than  four  hundred  synagogues.  The  brow 
of  the  prominent  hill  in  the  city,  or  some  other  convenient 
place,  was  selected  for  the  site,  while  the  architecture  varied 
according  to  the  taste  and  ability  of  the  builder,  either  an 
individual  or  the  community.  The  building  was  rectangular 
and  opened  toward  the  south.  The  roof  was  supported  by 
columns,  so  arranged  as  to  form  aisles  in  which  the  people 
might  sit  upon  small  mats  or  stand.  Near  the  entrance  was 
the  ark,  containing  the  carefully  wrapped  copies  of  the 
Scriptures  and  shielded  by  a  richly  decorated  curtain; 
immediately  in  front  of  this  were  the  seats  for  the  elders  and 
other  prominent  members,  who  sat  with  backs  to  the  ark  and 
faces  to  the  congregation.  The  reading-desk  would  be  near 
the  entrance,  or  in  a  very  large  synagogue  near  the  centre; 
the  woman’s  gallery  was  at  the  northern  end  of  the  room. 

The  service  included  the  prescribed  prayers,  the  recital  of 
the  creed,  the  reading  from  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  the  ad¬ 
dress  of  the  preacher,  or  teacher,  who  sat  during  the  delivery; 
the  address  might  be  followed  by  questions  or  remarks  from 
the  congregation.  The  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue  might 
invite  any  prominent  visitor  or  member  to  conduct  the  parts 
of  the  service  for  the  reading  and  the  address. 

The  congregation  met  regularly  on  the  Sabbath  for  the 
more  elaborate  services  and  on  Monday  and  Thursday  for 
teaching  and  the  less  formal  services,  and  also  on  feast  days 
with  appropriate  forms  of  service.  The  primary  purpose  in 
this  system  of  worship  was  instruction;  the  Temple  stood  for 
the  idea  of  sacrifice. 

Jesus  found  in  these  synagogues  the  place,  the  audience, 
and  certain  forms  of  worship  to  which  he  might  give  direction 
as  the  initial  forces  in  Christian  preaching.  The  synagogue 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


33 


would  have  continued  to  develop  along  the  principles  of 
Judaism,  remaining  a  Jewish  institution,  if  Jesus  had  not 
used  it  for  the  larger  plan  of  preaching. 

Jesus’  synagogue  ministry  must  have  been  extensive. 
The  Gospels,  however,  contain  but  four  general  references  1 
to  it,  three  fragmentary  sayings,2  and  three  discourses  3 
delivered  in  synagogues.  “  And  he  taught  in  their  synagogues, 
being  glorified  of  all.”4  His  preaching  in  these  synagogues 
was  popular  though  instructive.  He  submitted  to  the  current 
forms  of  service  but  added  a  new  spirit  and  meaning.  With 
their  gentle  sympathy  for  the  distressed  and  their  severe 
criticism  for  Pharisaism,  his  addresses  here  brought  a  joy  to 
the  common  people  which  paralleled  the  hatred  of  the  leaders. 

2.  HOMES  OF  THE  PEOPLE. — Jesus  entered  into  the 
full  life  of  men,  being  touched  with  the  feeling  of  their  infirm¬ 
ities,  enduring  the  common  temptations  in  order  that  he 
might  respond  to  every  call  of  need.  This  fellowship  could 
not  fail  to  lead  him  into  the  homes  of  the  people.  Regardless 
of  social  position,  financial  ability,  or  even  personal  purity, 
Jesus  accepted  invitations  to  the  homes  of  all  classes,  sharing 
the  hospitality  with  such  graciousness  and  courtesy  as  to 
prevent  the  host  from  being  overawed  by  his  wonderful  guest. 

Jesus  could  spend  only  his  spare  moments  in  the  deserts 
and  mountains  for  recreation  and  prayer.  His  place  was 
among  men. 

His  Table  Talks,  delivered  often  in  the  presence  of  specta¬ 
tors,  whose  intrusion  was  admitted  by  the  free  life  of  the 
Orientals,  were  sparkling  gems  of  beauty  and  thought.  These 
Talks  are  recorded  in  three  fragmentary  sayings  5  and  five  dis- 

1  Lk.  4:  15;  Mt.  4:  2S||;  9:  35;  Jn.  18:  20. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  2,  Nos.  10,  14,  22. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  4,  16,  31. 

4Lk.  4:  15. 

B  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  2,  Nos.  5,  13,  47. 

3 


34 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


courses.1  He  gives  direction  for  the  miracle  at  Cana;  at  the 
home  of  Levi  he  gives  the  illustration  of  the  physician  and 
patient;  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper  at  Bethany  he 
bespeaks  the  abiding  memorial  for  Mary  for  her  anointing. 
In  the  home  of  Simon  the  leper  he  discourses  upon  fasting; 
at  the  home  of  another  Simon  he  presents  the  doctrine  of 
forgiveness;  he  utters  woes  against  the  Pharisees  at  the  table 
of  a  Pharisee;  with  his  disciples  in  the  upper  room  in  Jeru¬ 
salem  he  institutes  the  Memorial  Supper  with  appropriate 
discourse. 

The  Reception  Hall  was  equally  suitable  for  preaching, 
since  all  sorts  of  people  might  thus  have  access  to  him  with¬ 
out  the  formalities  of  invitation.  Visitors  would  easily  seek 
him,  his  presence  being  known  serving  to  draw  the  crowds. 
He  was  never  too  weary  to  speak  to  them.  Five  fragmentary 
sayings  2  and  four  discourses  3  come  to  us  from  his  ministry 
in  the  Reception  Hall.  He  speaks  briefly  but  effectively  to 
the  Syrophcenieian  mother  for  the  cure  of  her  daughter;  the 
paralytic  in  Capernaum  hears  the  wrords  of  forgiveness  as  for 
healing;  Peter  is  sent  to  the  sea  for  the  coin  with  which  to  pay 
the  tax  for  the  Temple;  Martha  receives  her  rebuke  for  too 
much  anxiety  about  trifles,  and  Mary  is  commended  for 
her  teachable  heart.  He  refutes  the  calumny  of  the  Jews  and 
declares  their  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit ;  he  rebukes 
the  popular  craving  for  signs;  lessons  of  humility  and  for¬ 
giveness  come  naturally  upon  the  question  of  precedence  in 
the  kingdom  of  God ;  in  the  home  of  Zacchseus  he  delivers  his 
last  home  parable,  that  of  the  Pounds. 

3.  GOD’S  OPEN  AIR. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  most 
largely  delivered  in  the  open  air.  The  multitudes  were  always 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  5,  10,  28,  34,  53. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  2,  Nos.  12,  20,  25,  30,  31. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  11,  12,  20,  43. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


35 


eager  to  catch  his  words  and  constantly  flocked  to  him.  Jesus 
had  an  audience  at  his  will.  He  used  the  open  air  for  his  au¬ 
dience  chamber.  He  could  give  his  best  ministry  upon  the 
dusty  road,  where  pilgrims  forgot  their  weariness  in  listening 
to  him ;  by  the  seaside,  where  nature  could  murmur  her  under¬ 
tone  of  approval  to  his  wisdom;  and  upon  the  mountain  slopes, 
where  the  hearer  might  compare  the  strength  of  the  preacher 
to  that  of  the  God  of  the  hills,  whose  glory  rejoiced  the 
Psalmist.  Our  list  includes  his  open-air  ministry  under 
thirty-seven  fragmentary  sayings  and  thirty-eight  discourses. 

“Through  the  world  the  foot-path  way  he  trod, 

Drawing  the  air  of  heaven  in  every  breath; 

And  in  the  evening  sacrifice  of  death 
Beneath  the  open  sky  he  gave  his  soul  to  God. 

Him  will  I  trust  and  for  my  Master  take; 

Him  will  I  follow ;  and  for  his  dear  sake, 

God  of  the  open  air, 

To  Thee  I  make  my  prayer.”  1 

II.  The  Characteristics  Found  in  His  Audience 

1.  APATHY. — The  audiences  of  Jesus  easily  classify 
according  to  their  attitude  toward  him  and  his  preaching. 
Apathy  would  fitly  describe  a  large  part  of  his  audiences. 
The  ordinary  mind  may  be  moved  out  of  its  monotony  by  a 
special  occasion  or  a  tumult,  but  it  does  not  grasp  many  new 
facts  and  problems.  From  each  community  Jesus  drew  to  his 
audience  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  Jew  and  the  Gentile,  the 
strong  and  the  diseased,  all  moved  by  the  same  strong  motive 
to  be  near  this  Preacher  and  worker  of  miracles;  but  many  of 
these  must  have  been  hindered  by  their  dull  mental  processes 
from  comprehending  his  rapid  spiritual  thinking  They  had 
exhausted  their  ability  in  beholding  the  externals  of  his 
ministry. 

1  Henry  van  Dyke,  God  of  the  Open  Air. 


86 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  found  it  a  difficult  task  to  awaken  interest  in  his 
spiritual  conceptions,  which  were  far  more  worthy  of  atten¬ 
tion  than  the  miracles;  the  people  preferred  the  physical 
benefits  of  his  work.  Dull  of  perception,  debased  in  moral 
ideals,  bound  by  externals  and  careful  about  the  ceremonials 
of  religion,  the  ordinary  hearer  could  not  rise  to  the  lofty 
vision  of  Jesus.  It  required  too  much  spiritual  and  mental 
power  to  distinguish  between  the  current  Messianic  ideals 
and  those  presented  by  Jesus.  The  people  were  eager  to 
accept  the  generosity  of  Jesus  in  his  numerous  cures,  but  to 
a  great  extent  they  remained  apathetic  toward  his  prime  pur¬ 
pose  and  truths.  Occasionally  this  habitual  apathy  would  be 
broken,  as  some  soul  would  come  to  freedom  through  contact 
with  the  deep  principles  of  the  new  preaching. 

The  general  excitement  over  the  miracles  of  Jesus  and  over 
his  remarkable  personality  must  not  be  interpreted  as  a  sign 
of  a  cordial  and  universal  acceptance  of  Jesus.  Both  Jesus 
and  his  teachings  remained  in  singular  isolation  beyond  the 
hearts  of  the  great  masses.  Lifelong  indifference  to  the  high¬ 
est  things  of  religion  could  not  be  dissipated  easily. 

2.  ANTIPATHY. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  met  individual 
and  class  antagonism.  The  Sadducees  are  not  often  named 
in  the  Gospels,  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  chief 
priests  were  of  this  sect.  In  the  early  part  of  his  ministry 
Jesus  was  not  disturbed  by  the  Sadducees,  who  seemed  more 
inclined  to  ignore  him,  but  later  they  united  with  the  Pharisees 
in  the  demand  for  a  heavenly  sign;  they  also  entered  protest, 
along  with  the  scribes  and  elders,  against  the  authority  of 
Jesus  to  cleanse  the  Temple.  They  began  to  plot  his  death. 
They  sought  to  entrap  him  over  the  question  of  tribute  to 
Caesar  and  the  problem  of  relationship  in  the  case  of  the 
woman  with  seven  successive  husbands. 

The  Sadducees  held  to  the  Old  Testament  but  departed 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


37 


from  many  of  its  teachings.  They  were  filled  with  antipathy 
toward  the  preaching  of  Jesus  because  of  their  three  funda¬ 
mental  tenets:  they  denied  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  a 
personal  immortality,  and  a  future  retribution;  they  denied 
the  existence  of  angels  and  spirits ;  they  denied  foreordination, 
holding  to  the  Greek  idea  of  absolute  free  choice.  They  were 
practically  deists,  who  excluded  God  from  any  part  in  the 
operation  of  human  affairs.  While  professing  an  sesthetic 
agnosticism,  they  really  practiced  a  gross  materialism,  which 
was  more  pronounced  because  they  were  found  chiefly  among 
the  wealthy  classes. 

It  could  hardly  have  been  otherwise  than  that  Jesus  should 
stir  up  antipathy  among  these  people,  for  he  declared  his 
essential  union  with  God,  whose  spiritual  nature  demanded  a 
spiritual  service ;  he  denied  that  human  life  could  be  measured 
in  terms  of  worldly  values,  the  man  being  more  than  meat  and 
raiment;  he  taught  that  the  tomb  is  not  the  end  of  the  man. 
This  attitude  of  antipathy  gave  to  the  ministry  of  Jesus  cer¬ 
tain  homiletical  traits. 

The  Pharisees  quickly  discovered  that  Jesus  "would  bring 
ruin  to  their  long-recognized  leadership  over  the  people. 
They  took  measures  by  which  to  crush  him.  He  had  never 
shown  consideration  for  their  wisdom  and  official  position. 
As  soon  as  Jesus  began  to  attract  the  people,  a  special  dele¬ 
gation  of  the  Pharisees  went  from  Jerusalem  to  Galilee  to 
oppose  his  work.  They  induced  the  people  of  his  native 
Nazareth  to  reject  him,  and  caused  a  reaction  against  him 
at  Bethsaida  and  Capernaum.  They  dogged  his  footsteps 
almost  through  his  entire  ministry,  and  aroused  every  possible 
antagonist.  They  opposed  him  because  he  did  not  keep  the 
Law  according  to  their  ideas  and  because  of  his  claims  of 
relationship  to  God. 

The  Pharisee  was  a  formalist  in  religion  and  a  traditional- 


38 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


ist  in  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures;  he  esteemed  the  formal 
and  external  more  highly  than  the  spiritual  conformity  to  the 
Law,  and  exalted  the  rabbinical  opinions  as  more  valuable 
and  binding  than  the  words  of  the  Sacred  Book  even  in 
points  of  clear  variations. 

Concerned  with  religious  cant,  careful  of  tithes,  ostenta¬ 
tious  in  charity,  ambitious  for  applause  for  goodness,  con¬ 
ceited  in  a  self-declared  righteousness,  disdainful  of  the 
sinner,  and  proud  of  public  prayers,  the  Pharisee  formed  the 
most  disturbing  element  in  the  audiences  of  Jesus.  The 
material  and  the  method  of  his  ministry  wrere  influenced  by 
them  and  their  evil  plans.  His  high  demand  for  individual 
piety,  based  upon  inner  merit  and  contact  with  God,  aroused 
these  legalists,  for  they  perceived  that  they  measured  up  to 
his  scathing  illustration  of  the  beautiful  sepulchre,  whose 
fair  exterior  but  made  more  hideous  the  inner  pollution. 

The  scribes,  sometimes  called  lawyers  and  doctors  of  the 
Law,  thought  at  first  that  they  had  found  a  great  leader  in 
Jesus,  for  his  initial  call  to  repentance  met  their  approval, 
their  desire  calling  for  a  stricter  adherence  to  the  Law;  but 
they  soon  saw  that  Jesus’  demand  for  repentance  was  more 
spiritual  than  they  could  accept.  His  methods  of  interpret¬ 
ing  the  Scriptures  with  an  incisive,  original  opinion  differed 
widely  from  their  recital  of  hoary  comments  of  dead  scholars. 
His  spirituality  did  not  harmonize  with  their  formalism. 
The  scribes  were  forced  into  antipathy  to  his  preaching. 
They  could  not  readily  transfer  to  another  their  long-kept 
key  of  knowledge,  even  though  their  retention  of  it  meant 
only  increased  burdens  for  the  people. 

The  Herodians  had  placed  their  political  hopes  upon 
Herod,  and  were  willing  to  form  alliances  with  any  religious 
party  that  might  help  them  realize  their  ambitions.  They 
were  unable  to  distinguish  between  their  small  worldly  king- 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


39 


dom,  ready  to  crumble  at  tlie  approach  of  an  army  and 
dependent  upon  the  will  of  an  autocrat,  and  the  spiritual 
kingdom  of  heaven,  to  whose  limits  and  powers  there  should 
be  no  horizon.  Jesus  could  not  be  the  friend  of  the  Hero- 
dians. 

3.  SYMPATHY. — Jesus  addressed  a  large  class  of  defect¬ 
ives — the  blind,  the  leper,  the  demoniac,  the  lame,  the  crip¬ 
pled — many  of  whom  were  drawn  by  the  worthy  desire  to  be 
healed.  As  Jesus  looked  into  these  haggard  and  diseased 
faces,  upon  which  had  fallen  already  the  light  and  joy  of 
hope,  he  felt  that  here  could  be  found  willing  listeners.  Grati¬ 
tude  for  past  cures  would  bring  former  defectives  into  this 
sympathetic  circle. 

The  common  people  heard  him  gladly.  No  former  re¬ 
nowned  teacher  had  ever  considered  these  sons  of  toil  as 
worthy  hearers.  The  imprisoned  John  the  Baptist,  still  great 
in  his  loneliness  and  fulfilled  mission,  rejoiced  in  the  fact  that 
Jesus  returned  the  sign  of  his  Messiahship  in  a  gospel  for  the 
poor.  Occupied  with  the  tasks  for  daily  bread,  untutored  in 
the  schools  of  culture,  the  common  people  may  not  have  had 
the  largest  capacity,  mental  and  spiritual,  to  appreciate  the 
preaching  of  Jesus,  but  they  gave  him  a  sympathetic  hearing 
according  to  their  talents. 

The  disciples  formed  the  best  part  of  Jesus'  audiences. 
Their  number  varied  according  to  the  period  of  his  ministry. 
When  Jesus  began  to  preach  the  deeper  truths  of  a  strenuous 
discipleship  and  a  spiritual  righteousness,  there  occurred  a 
defection  of  half-hearted  followers,  but  many  loyal  friends 
stood  by  him  to  the  end. 

His  most  appreciative  hearers  were  the  Twelve,  whose  train¬ 
ing  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world  was  specially  dear  to  the 
Preacher.  Often  slow  of  understanding,  held  in  bondage  to 
the  current  Messianic  hopes  of  a  temporal  kingdom,  ambitious 


40 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


for  preferment  in  the  coming  kingdom,  they  yet  gave  Jesus 
receptive  and  teachable  minds  and  hearts,  whose  impressions 
of  the  truth  would  later  find  a  quickening  from  the  Holy 
Spirit.  It  must  have  been  a  real  joy  to  the  Preacher  to  speak 
to  these  men. 

III.  Jesus  Before  His  Audience 

1.  SECURING  ATTENTION.— It  was  no  trouble  for 
Jesus  to  secure  the  attention  of  his  audience.  Apart  from  the 
general  interest  in  him  because  of  his  record  of  deeds  and 
words,  Jesus  knew  how  to  make  the  particular  occasion 
respond  to  his  desire.  A  miracle,  a  parable,  a  sorrow,  a 
murmur  of  discontent,  a  cool  drink  from  a  well,  a  question, 
a  walk  through  a  grain  field,  or  an  attempt  to  trap  him  in 
speech  would  serve  to  secure  attention  for  an  impassioned 
address.  He  was  a  master  of  the  unexpected,  occasional, 
passing  opportunity  that  might  lend  itself  to  homiletical 
ends. 

2.  HIS  DELIVERY. — Jesus  did  not  lower  the  dignity  of 
his  wonderful  personality  when  he  addressed  an  audience. 
His  delivery  kept  in  harmony  with  his  character.  He  was 
serious,  imperious,  and  impassioned.  His  style  shunned 
levity  of  manner  and  trifling  with  great  subjects,  his  humor 
and  irony  never  transgressing  the  law  of  propriety.  Burdened 
with  his  mission  of  salvation  for  the  sinner,  conscious  that 
only  through  himself  could  men  find  the  upward  path  to  God, 
and  impelled  by  zeal  for  his  vocation,  Jesus  could  not  descend 
to  unworthy  subjects  and  methods,  thus  sharply  contrasting 
his  course  with  that  of  the  rabbis.  His  voice,  posture,  gestures, 
and  general  bearing  harmonized  with  the  seriousness  and 
value  of  his  message.  He  preserved  his  dignity  before  his 
congregation,  wThether  he  spoke  to  one  or  to  the  multitude. 
He  adopted  the  monologue,  now  the  prevalent  method  of 


THE  EFFECT  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE 


41 


Christian  preaching,  but  permitted  and  often  encouraged 
questions  and  responses  from  his  audience.  His  delivery 
was  direct,  forceful,  attractive,  personal,  and  conversa¬ 
tional. 

3.  MASTERY  OF  HIS  AUDIENCE.— The  orator’s  am¬ 
bition  is  to  master  his  audience,  moving  them  to  tears, 
stirring  them  into  frenzied  action,  creating  new  ideals  and 
motives,  and  pleasing  them  with  fancies.  Jesus  had  perfect 
control  over  the  crowds  that  heard  him.  At  his  own  discre¬ 
tion  he  would  intensify  his  enemies’  hatred,  fearlessly  de¬ 
nouncing  their  hypocrisy  and  wickedness,  or  draw  his  friends 
and  beneficiaries  closer  to  himself,  unfolding  to  them  his 
plans  and  blessing  them  with  miracles.  More  than  once  the 
popular  enthusiasm  would  have  crowned  him  king,  but  his 
masterful  mind  avoided  the  crisis. 

Several  factors  entered  this  mastery  of  an  audience.  His 
personality  was  authoritative;  his  insight  into  the  thought 
processes  and  the  character  of  men  was  minute  and  accurate; 
each  discourse  fitted  the  occasion  of  its  delivery  both  as  to 
method  and  material;  he  recognized  and  used  the  moment  of 
supreme  interest;  he  had  a  free  access  to  the  heart  to  bring 
sincere  conviction  or  to  arouse  his  foes  to  bitter  rejection  of 
the  truth. 

4.  EFFECTS  OF  HIS  DISCOURSE.— The  discourses  of 
Jesus  accomplished  his  purposes  for  them.  His  foes  found 
in  them  the  materials  for  criticism,  while  his  followers  ac¬ 
cepted  them  as  the  instruction  for  the  life  eternal.  The  cur¬ 
rent  religious  sects  were  not  converted  from  their  beliefs,  for 
selfishness  confirmed  their  opposition  to  Jesus,  individuals 
only  from  these  sects  accepting  him ;  but  the  common  people 
gladly  turned  toward  him,  moved  by  his  matchless  oratory 
and  message,  for  they  groaned  under  the  burdens  of  sorrow, 
disease,  political  and  religious  oppression,  and  extortion. 


42 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  preached  the  evangel  of  hope,  brotherly  kindness,  good 
cheer,  and  eternal  salvation.  His  ministry  resulted  in  a 
community  of  redeemed  souls  and  healed  minds  and  bodies. 
Judged  by  the  effects  of  the  discourse,  Jesus  was  and  remains 
a  preacher  without  a  peer. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  adapted  in  purpose  and  method 
to  a  social  world.  Religious  truth  in  new  revelations  or 
emphases  should  become  the  instrument  of  personal  benefit 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  the  truth  should  be  mediated 
through  one  who  could  enter  into  fellowship  with  the  suffer¬ 
ings  and  hopes  of  men.  Isolation  from  the  people  would 
have  made  Jesus  a  failure  as  a  preacher.  His  plans  of 
evangelism  led  him  into  all  sections  of  his  countrv.  He  could 
accent  the  worth  of  the  individual  because  he  entered  the 
ordinary  relationships  of  life  and  touched  every  degree  of 
culture  and  social  rank.  He  was  gracious  in  his  response 
to  need,  whether  suggested  by  individuals,  groups,  or  the 
crowds.  His  point  of  contact  illustrates  his  homiletical  genius. 

I.  The  Religio-Social  Contact 

1.  INSTITUTIONAL. — Jesus’  nationality  gave  him  the  in¬ 
itial  point  of  contact  in  his  preaching.  He  could  speak  to 
his  own  people  with  the  freedom  that  came  from  a  common 
inheritance  of  history  and  ideals.  He  listened  to  the  same 
folk-lore  stories  that  stirred  the  imagination  of  other  Hebrew 
lads,  and  that  had  been  unified  around  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
thereby  becoming  far  superior  in  purity  and  conception  to  the 
Gentile  folk-lore.  The  favorite  expression  of  Jesus,  “the 
kingdom  of  heaven,”  conserved  the  best  in  and  added  to  the 
Messianic  hopes  of  his  nation. 

43 


44 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


As  the  heritage  of  the  theocracy,  social  duties  were  con¬ 
nected  with  the  religious,  for  Jehovah  had  given  direction 
for  the  Hebrew  type  of  life.  Jesus  promised  to  the  Twelve 
the  privilege  of  sitting  upon  twelve  thrones  in  judgment  over 
the  tribes  of  Israel.  His  patriotic  heart  burst  forth  in  grief 
that  Jerusalem  should  miss  her  day  of  opportunity. 

He  had  a  reverence  for  the  Law  of  Moses,  though  he  gave 
to  it  a  new  interpretation  and  fulfilment.  He  kept  the 
national  feasts,  attending  in  Jerusalem  the  Passover,  the 
Feast  of  the  Tabernacles,  and  the  Feast  of  Dedication.  He 
preserved  a  deep  regard  for  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  and  was 
a  regular  attendant  upon  the  services  of  the  Temple  and  the 
synagogues. 

His  ministry  was  limited  almost  entirely  to  his  own  people, 
the  Elect  Nation.  He  did  not  hesitate,  however,  to  criticise 
the  false  practices  that  had  become  current.  His  treatment 
of  the  Syrophoenician  woman  indicated  this  national  point 
of  contact:  “I  was  not  sent  but  unto  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel.”1  Yet  he  was  willing  to  conquer  race  prej¬ 
udice  in  order  to  reward  a  marvelous  faith.  The  record  of 
his  failure  to  convert  all  Israel  also  suggests  this  contact: 
“He  came  unto  his  own,  and  they  that  were  his  own  received 
him  not.”2 

His  humble  home  at  Nazareth  brought  him  into  touch  with 
the  middle  class  of  society,  while  his  sympathetic  heart  led 
him  to  discover  the  condition  of  the  poor  and  unfortunate, 
and  his  royal  ancestry  justified  an  interest  in  those  in  the 
higher  walks  of  life.  His  Hebrew  birthright  guaranteed  him 
a  knowledge  of  religious  and  social  duties  even  in  youth. 
His  public  ministry  opened  at  the  Cana  wedding,  social 
duties  giving  the  initial  opportunity  for  the  display  of  his 
great  personality  and  power. 
iMt.  15:24. 


2  Jn.  1: 11. 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 


45 


“The  modest  water,  touched  with  grace  divine, 

Confessed  its  God,  and  blushed  itself  to  wine.” 

“This  beginning  of  his  signs  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee, 
and  manifested  his  glory;  and  his  disciples  believed  on  him.”  1 

Current  institutions  increased  this  religio-social  point  of 
contact.  These  had  been  both  products  and  creators  of  the 
Hebrew  character,  so  materially  different  from  the  Greek 
and  the  Roman  types.  Jesus  shared  this  inheritance  of 
institutions  and  their  formative  influence.  To  him  came 
noble  gifts  from  the  past,  for  through  his  veins  coursed  pure 
Hebrew  blood  and  in  his  character  localized  pure  Hebrew 
ideals.  To  deny  this  heritage  would  be  to  make  the  earthly 
life  of  Jesus  a  mere  shadow  of  reality;  full  Hebrew  manhood 
would  not  violate  the  divine  Sonship,  "while  it  would  posit  a 
real  incarnation.  His  humanity  and  divinity  should  not  be 
allowed  in  thought  to  commit  mutual  robbery.  His  full 
manhood  brought  him  into  contact  with  sin  and  the  infirmi¬ 
ties  of  the  body,  while  his  own  purity  remained  unsullied  and 
glorious. 

The  places  and  ceremonials  of  worship  gave  formal 
expression  to  these  institutions.  Often  calling  for  censure, 
they  supplied  Jesus  with  the  occasion,  the  place,  and  often 
the  theme  of  his  preaching.  The  Temple  and  the  synagogues 
afforded  him,  a  pious  Hebrew,  the  privileges  of  worship,  of 
preaching,  and  of  mingling  with  other  worshippers.  He  had 
full  right  to  the  Scriptures,  which  he  interpreted  with  clearer 
insight  and  greater  spirituality  than  the  rabbis,  while  his 
themes  included  those  of  national  interest,  accented  by  the 
doctrine  of  the  divine  leadership  and  by  the  current  mis¬ 
fortunes  of  the  nation.  Freedom  of  the  conduct  of  the 
synagogue  service  increased  his  opportunity  to  preach  to  the 
people. 


i  Jn.  2: 11. 


40 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


The  Messianic  Hope  specially  gave  Jesus  contact  for 
preaching.  While  glorying  in  her  history,  in  which  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  Jehovah  had  been  so  evident,  Israel  looked  forward 
to  yet  better  days,  for  from  her  past  should  emerge  forces  to 
mould  a  nation  whose  heroes  should  teach  new  lessons  of 
heroism  and  whose  renown  among  other  nations  should 
shadow  all  past  glory.  Dreams  of  the  pious,  visions  of  seers, 
longings  of  the  oppressed,  and  expectations  of  all  classes,  in¬ 
tensified  and  embittered  by  political  serfdom,  culminated  and 
localized  in  the  Messianic  Hope,  which  declared  belief  in  the 
coming  Messiah,  whom  God  would  anoint  to  a  kingdom  of 
endless  limits  and  days. 

Lowered  to  comprehend  a  worldly  kingdom,  sensualized 
by  hopes  of  regal  power  and  splendor,  debased  into  a  desire 
for  revenge  against  national  insults,  this  Messianic  expec¬ 
tation  gave  to  Jesus  a  fundamental  contact  for  his  preaching. 
He  declared  that  in  himself,  the  Preacher  and  worker  of 
miracles,  Jehovah  had  redeemed  his  promises  to  Israel,  that 
the  imperial  city  should  be  transferred  from  Jerusalem  to  the 
individual  heart,  and  that  worldly  honor  should  fade  before 
the  glory  of  the  God-man,  crowned  King  of  the  Soul. 

Jesus  used  this  crude,  current  form  of  Messianism  as  a  point 
of  contact  for  his  own  exalted  plan  of  personal  supremacy  over 
human  lives  in  the  concrete.  Much  of  his  ministry  was 
concerned  with  displacing  old  errors  of  hope  and  wor¬ 
ship. 

2.  EXPERIENTIAL. — Jesus  preached  a  gospel  for  indi¬ 
vidual  experience.  He  sought  a  more  intimate  fellowship  with 
his  audience  than  could  be  secured  from  the  institutional 
forms  of  religion.  Religion  could  not  be  limited  to  the  ex¬ 
ternal  ceremonials,  for  it  must  so  master  the  person  as  to 
impart  righteousness  and  salvation,  thereby  ceasing  to  be 
confined  to  the  visible  and  external.  Jesus  incarnated  the 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 


47 


truth.  He  required  that  men  should  be  more  than  shams 
of  holiness.  His  invectives  were  justly  hurled  against  those 
who  sought  to  summarize  religion  in  fasting,  public  prayers 
and  almsgiving,  but  who  missed  the  impulse  of  spiritual 
piety  and  charity.  In  contrast  with  this  Pharisaism  Jesus 
invited  aspirants  for  life  into  an  abundant  experience,  trans¬ 
forming  the  will,  purifying  the  affections,  spiritualizing  life’s 
outlook,  and  subduing  the  soul  to  the  divine  will.  We  may 
sing  thus  the  basal  unity  of  truth, 

“Truth  is  truth  in  each  degree 

Thunder-pealed  by  God  to  Nature,  whispered  by  my  soul  to  me.”  1 

But  truths  of  personal  relations  have  value  for  us  only  as 
they  are  experienced.  The  formal  validity  of  truth  may  not 
be  impaired  by  individual  rejection,  but  the  loss  to  the  in¬ 
dividual  is  vital.  When  Jesus  declared  his  offer  of  freedom, 
he  emphasized  appropriated  and  experiential  truths  as  the 
foundation  of  character. 

Modern  approval  of  Jesus’  idea  has  come  from  the  study 
of  the  psychology  of  religion.  The  religious  experience  has 
come  within  the  scope  of  scientific  investigation,  data  being 
discovered  and  laws  formulated.  The  spiritual  life  may 
reveal  itself  in  results  and  in  some  of  its  processes.  This 
study  has  doubtless  suggested  many  errors  and  vagaries  as 
truths,  but  the  basal  idea  and  certain  methods  remain  praise¬ 
worthy.  The  eager  student  of  the  religious  life  may  not 
enter  with  unholy  curiosity  the  soul’s  Holy  of  Holies,  and 
yet  the  light  of  the  Shekinah  of  Experience  falls  without 
the  curtains,  and  invites  attention.  Jesus  found  the  ultimate 
for  his  preaching  in  the  personal  experience,  exalted  and 
vitalized  by  his  own  presence. 


1  Browning,  La  Saisiaz . 


48 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


II.  The  Intellectual  Contact 

1.  THE  APPROACH. — Jesus  made  his  preaching  intel¬ 
ligible.  Even  a  divine  revelation  must  adapt  itself  to  the 
mental  and  spiritual  processes  of  men.  Jesus  never  violated 
this  basic  law.  His  words  often  fell  upon  dull  ears,  but  they 
were  capable  of  being  understood.  His  intellectual  approach 
to  his  audience  was  intelligible,  intelligent,  and  adaptable 
to  the  capacity  of  his  hearers.  He  did  not  intend  that  his 
message  should  have  its  largest  appreciation  by  its  first 
audiences,  for  the  full  meaning  of  his  truths  could  come  only 
with  the  Christian  centuries.  He  often  clothed  his  words  in 
such  dress  as  to  hide  his  meaning  from  portions  of  his  audi¬ 
ence.  He  knew  the  power  of  each  mind;  his  applications 
were  never  at  fault.  Interest  would  be  awakened  even 
though  the  person  did  not  fully  comprehend  Jesus’  meaning. 

He  did  not  consider  the  social  distinctions  in  his  approach 
to  men.  His  approach  to  the  intellect  was  incidental,  illus¬ 
trative,  and  full  of  surprises.  He  caught  the  attention  of  the 
passer-by,  the  casual  visit  to  the  Temple  or  synagogue  gave 
him  his  chance  to  preach,  or  a  stop  by  the  roadside  would 
suggest  a  parable  or  an  illustration. 

Jesus  did  not  err  in  his  judgment  of  men  and  their  present 
needs.  With  his  own  purpose  clearly  defined  in  his  .own 
mind  he  knew  just  how  to  reach  men,  though  the  student 
of  his  methods  may  sometimes  wonder  at  the  method  or  fail 
to  see  it.  The  intellectual  range  of  his  audiences  was  very 
great.  The  ignorant  received  gracious  notice  and  the  learned 
could  not  boast  of  special  considerations. 

2.  THE  CONTENT. — The  message  of  Jesus  was  a  divine 
revelation.  He  came  to  deliver  the  words  of  his  Father. 
“The  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but  the  Father’s  who 
sent  me.”  1  He  did  not  come  to  teach  the  physical  sciences; 

i  Jn.  14:24. 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 


49 


his  theme  was  the  science  of  eternal  life.  His  thoughts  con¬ 
tained  truths  beyond  the  conception  of  the  unaided  human 
mind  and  others  that  needed  his  authority  to  give  them  force 
over  men. 

His  preaching  was  highly  intellectual.  His  presentation 
of  truths  was  in  recognition  of  their  wonderful  relations  and 
depths.  His  recorded  words  have  created  a  vast  literature 
for  their  interpretation  and  enforcement.  The  Manifesto  of 
the  King,  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  outlining  the  principles 
of  that  kingdom  which  is  the  personal  reign  of  the  Messiah 
over  the  individual  heart,  invites  the  study  of  the  keenest 
intellects  of  the  world.  His  doctrine  of  God,  incarnated  and 
revealed  in  the  Son,  demands  earnest  thought  to  estimate  its 
grandeur,  while  its  correlative  doctrine  of  redemption  has 
had  many  labored  scholarly  attempts  at  explanation  and 
remains  best  set  forth  in  Jesus’  parables  of  the  Lost  Coin, 
the  Lost  Sheep,  and  the  Lost  Son.  The  hunger  of  the  sinful 
but  repentant  heart  is  never  tantalized  with  husks  of 
worthless  platitudes.  Jesus  had  something  worth  preach¬ 
ing. 

Heathen  longings  for  fellowship  with  deity  had  led  to 
idol-making,  Greek  and  Roman  mythologies  had  deified 
human  heroes,  Hebrew  prophets  had  been  granted  occasional 
theophanies,  but  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  first  to  declare 
redemption  for  the  sinner  through  an  incarnation  of  the 
Father-God,  humiliated  into  human  limitations  without  de¬ 
struction  of  infinite  holiness  and  power,  and  through  the  Son’s 
sacrifice  which  would  be  sufficient  for  salvation.  Human 
reason  cannot  go  beyond  this  thought.  Jesus  made  it  the 
commonplace  of  his  preaching.  He  gave  to  it  the  religious 
rather  than  the  philosophical  treatment.  His  words  of  wis¬ 
dom  were  without  conscious  effort. 

The  creed  of  Jesus  was  simple  and  wise.  His  preaching 
4 


50 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


will  ever  appeal  to  the  best  culture  for  appreciation,  but  he 
did  not  establish  an  educational  test  of  faith  and  fellowship. 
Contact  wfith  himself  was  granted  upon  meagre  knowledge 
of  his  principles.  He  challenged  the  best  scholarship  of  his 
times  and  he  still  has  power  and  charm  for  the  scholar,  and 
yet  he  lowered  to  its  minimum  the  intellectual  condition  of 
accepting  the  new  life,  since  he  came  to  save  the  sinner 
regardless  of  ignorance  and  wdsdom.  He  should  become  the 
Saviour  of  men  without  class  distinctions. 

He  did  not  completely  indicate  the  creed  of  Christendom, 
being  content  to  suggest  a  few  essential  fundamentals.  The 
individual  creed  might  be  crude  and  chaotic,  or  wTell  defined 
and  articulated,  but  it  must  contain  belief  in  himself  as  the 
Son  of  God.  The  “I  believe”  must  include  divinity  in 
order  to  guarantee  Saviourhood. 

This  attitude  toward  the  intellect  did  not  mean  that  Jesus 
placed  a  premium  upon  ignorance  or  that  he  would  unduly 
exalt  the  religious  function  of  the  intellect.  The  penitent 
of  small  culture  might  enter  the  kingdom  upon  the  same 
basis  with  the  most  learned. 

3.  THE  PURPOSE. — Jesus  adopted  the  normal  method 
of  ingress  to  man’s  life.  The  intellect  constitutes  the  first 
point  of  contact,  without  which  the  other  powers  of  the  soul 
have  no  control.  The  emotions  can  be  stirred  and  the  will 
can  be  moved  only  through  some  intellectual  stimulus,  unless 
the  mind  be  disorganized  and  helpless.  Jesus  opened  the 
soul’s  first  gate.  Symptoms  of  mental  disorder  first  come  to 
notice  in  the  failure  to  correlate  intellectual  data.  Jesus  did 
not  attempt  to  secure  a  reasonless  response  to  his  thought. 
He  accepted  the  basal  connection  between  the  intellect  and 
the  religious  life.  Man’s  trinity  of  constitution  entered  fully 
into  his  view  of  religion.  Errors  of  belief  and  customs  may 
often  be  traced  to  an  undue  emphasis  on  one  or  two  of  these 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 


51 


three  elements  of  religion.  The  history  of  dogmas  verifies 
such  facts.  Jesus  kept  the  balance  and  poise. 

III.  The  Emotional  Contact 

1.  JESUS’  AROUSEMENT  OF  EMOTIONS.— Jesus’ 
arousement  of  emotions  in  his  audience  was  profound  in 
degree  and  masterly  in  method.  His  public  ministry  was 
constantly  attended  by  display  of  emotions.  These  emotions 
were  created  by  the  attitude,  words,  and  deeds  of  Jesus. 
Anger,  amazement,  joy,  sorrow,  jealousy,  hope,  and  hatred 
could  be  cited  in  many  examples,  showing  the  range  and 
depth  of  emotions  aroused  by  him.  Two  examples  will  in¬ 
dicate  the  thought.  Amazement  was  a  common  emotion  of 
his  audiences.  The  Gospels  present  the  shades  of  this  emo¬ 
tion  as  exhibited  on  thirty-four  occasions  by  the  use  of  nine 
Greek  words,  rendered  amazement,  wonder,  and  marvel. 
The  other  example  is  the  emotion  of  sorrow.  Twelve  Greek 
words  are  used  to  express  his  varied  fellowship  with  sorrow, 
caused  or  alleviated  by  himself,  the  occasions  numbering 
eighteen. 

2.  JESUS’  DESIGN  IN  AROUSING  EMOTIONS.— He 

knew  the  religious  value  of  emotions.  They  should  not 
be  aroused  to  gratify  the  speaker  or  the  participant,  but 
should  be  incited  only  to  give  worth  and  control  to  religious 
problems  and  duties.  Modern  religious  emotionalism,  which 
lacks  the  correlate  of  conduct  and  which  seeks  the  fact  and 
the  applause  of  sensationalism,  would  not  have  found  favor 
with  Jesus.  He  designed  the  emotions  to  be  directed  toward 
right  living.  He  excited  his  enemies  to  anger  because  of  his 
holy  life  and  wonderful  ministry,  and  from  this  anger  there 
came  real  benefits  to  his  kingdom. 

Two  elements  enter  into  the  religious  value  of  emotions. 
The  emotion  has  its  own  proper  place  and  worth,  and  it  is 


52 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


also  related  to  the  religious  aspect  of  both  the  intellect  and 
the  will.  The  triple  division  of  Kant  finds  here  its  religious 
expression  in  Creed,  Worship,  and  Conduct.  The  presence 
of  each  of  these  will  be  recognized  in  every  normal  religious 
life,  but  each  may  for  any  particular  time  or  reason  pre¬ 
dominate  in  actual  experience.  Creed  deals  with  the  in¬ 
tellectual  element  of  religion  in  beliefs,  which  may  be  er¬ 
roneous,  true,  chaotic,  or  orderly.  Worship  is  concerned 
specially  with  the  emotions,  which  may  be  individually 
weak,  strong,  surface,  deep,  monotheistic,  or  polytheistic. 
Conduct  looks  to  the  art  of  right  living,  which  demands 
activity  of  the  will  in  order  that  the  facts  of  the  intellect  and 
the  emotions  may  be  energized.  Jesus  came  that  men  might 
know  the  truth,  which  is  an  intellectual  process;  that  they 
might  love  God  and  men,  which  is  an  emotional  process; 
and  that  they  might  live  righteously,  which  is  a  volitional 
process. 


IV.  The  Volitional  Contact 

1.  THE  TRI-UNITY  OF  LIFE. — For  purposes  of  com¬ 
parison  one  may  divide  the  inner  life  of  man  into  intellect, 
emotion,  and  will.  The  normal  life  has  these  in  due  pro¬ 
portion.  Jesus  did  not  specialize  one  to  the  improper  neg¬ 
lect  of  the  others.  To  him  life  was  a  tri-unity. 

2.  THE  LAW  OF  OBEDIENCE.— The  law  of  obedi¬ 
ence  in  the  preaching  of  Jesus  was  self-surrender.  The 
finite,  individual  will  finds  its  fulfilment  and  highest  end  in 
perfect  submission  to  the  infinite  will  of  God.  Submission 
is  a  real  basal  principle  of  religion.  Without  coercion  Jesus 
constrained  men  to  submit  to  his  will  and  leadership.  He 
declined  to  enter  into  discussions  about  freedom,  but  promised 
to  his  disciples  that  he,  the  Son,  would  give  them  true  free¬ 
dom.  The  follower  of  Jesus  by  obedience  would  increase 


THE  POINT  OF  CONTACT 


53 


his  knowledge  of  the  truth,  while  the  test  of  discipleship 
would  be  found  in  this  attitude  of  surrender.  The  presence 
of  the  Trinity  would  be  assured  for  the  future  to  the  obedient 
disciples. 

The  experience  of  Gethsemane  was  epochal  for  Jesus,  and 
suggests  that  each  soul,  tempted  and  assailed  by  Satan,  may 
have  the  supreme  victory  in  affirming,  “Not  my  will,  but 
thine,  be  done.”  1  The  human  will  is  thus  taken  up  into  the 
divine,  but  there  is  no  infraction  of  human  rights  of  choice 
and  responsibility,  but  a  greater  freedom  and  nobility  of 
character. 

3.  THE  FINALITY  OF  CONTACT.— The  will  must  be 
energized  in  order  to  complete  the  religious  experience. 
Enlightened  by  the  intellect  with  the  message  of  truth, 
stimulated  and  evoked  into  action  by  the  emotions  with 
motives,  the  will  consummates  the  religious  experience. 
Creed  without  correction  would  develop  into  cold,  harsh, 
and  lifeless  intellectualism,  emotion  would  degenerate  into 
attenuated  emotionalism,  volition  would  run  into  formalism 
and  externalism  in  conduct.  Co-ordinate  in  real  experience 
and  mutually  dependent  in  action,  these  three  elements  sug¬ 
gest  that  the  final  appeal  to  activity  must  be  made  to  the  will. 
Enthroned  in  the  will  of  the  individual,  Jesus  directs  the 
religious  beliefs,  stirs  the  sentiments,  and  guides  to  right 
conduct.  His  preaching  never  failed  to  consider  these  factors 
of  religious  experience.  He  had  contact  with  his  audiences 
through  each  of  these.  He  gave  men  his  own  revelations  of 
truth  to  compel  intellectual  acceptance,  he  created  in  men 
love  for  God  and  men,  and  gave  men  the  willingness  to  follow 
him  and  to  overcome  the  power  of  Satan. 

“  Our  wills  are  ours,  we  know  not  why, 

Our  wills  are  ours  to  make  them  Thine.” 

i  Lk.  22 :  42. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  THEMES  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  themes  of  Jesus’  preaching  were  dignified  in  char¬ 
acter,  harmonious  with  his  mission  of  salvation,  indicative 
of  his  outlook  upon  life,  and  suggestive  of  his  homiletical 
methods.  Through  them  he  expressed  personality  and  style. 

I.  The  Selection  of  His  Themes 

1.  MESSAGE  THROUGH  OCCASION.— The  spontaneity 
of  immediate  selection  attached  to  the  themes  of  Jesus.  He 
was  full  of  surprises,  his  audiences  not  having  previous  knowd- 
edge  of  his  topics  for  discourses.  How  long  before  delivery 
had  Jesus  chosen  his  themes  ?  The  timeliness  of  application 
was  apparent  in  all  cases,  yet  it  may  be  observed  how  cer¬ 
tain  occasions  gave  form  and  material  to  his  speech.  His 
rapid  thought,  consequent  to  such  a  stirring  ministry,  did 
not  slip  into  shallow,  immature,  and  contradictory  utterances. 

Jesus  brought  to  each  occasion  its  proper  importance. 
His  message  and  personality  were  always  behind  the  incident, 
which  could  never  usurp  the  place  of  his  message.  He  kept 
the  fadeless  consciousness  that  only  through  the  revelation 
of  the  truth  in  himself  could  men  reach  the  enduring  life. 
He  could  neither  forget  nor  deny  the  main  purpose  of  his 
ministry. 

The  disciples  deserved  rebuke  for  their  contention  for 
precedence  in  the  kingdom,  but  the  greater  aim  of  the 
Preacher  was  to  emphasize  the  lesson  of  humility  in  service, 

54 


HIS  THEMES 


55 


the  real  measure  of  greatness  under  the  new  religion.  The 
quiet  gift  of  the  poor  widow  might  have  been  naturally  over¬ 
looked,  but  Jesus  desired  to  symbolize  through  her  act  the 
true  benevolence,  making  ability  rather  than  amounts  the 
test  of  value.  The  field  of  ripening  grain  lost  its  usual  mes¬ 
sage  of  prosperity  in  the  larger  type  of  the  world’s  harvest 
of  sinners.  When  his  impatient  and  unbelieving  brethren 
would  have  him  leave  the  crowds,  eager  to  hear  his  words 
and  to  receive  healing  for  the  afflicted,  Jesus  declared  the 
far  limits  of  his  family  circle  to  include  “whosoever  shall  do 
the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven.’'  1 

Jesus  was  not,  however,  entirely  dependent  upon  the  occa¬ 
sion  to  determine  the  form  and  matter  of  his  discourses.  He 
directed  events  toward  suitable  times  for  his  preaching.  The 
occasion  vras  but  the  accessory  of  his  ministry,  his  will  ever 
being  dominant  to  make  effective  his  life-plans.  He  was  the 
master  of  the  opportunity.  He  did  not  unduly  stress  the  oc¬ 
casion,  nor  did  he  speak  simply  to  meet  the  popular  demands 
upon  him.  The  Preacher  was  the  exponent  of  the  Saviour. 
Since  his  great  heart  was  stirred  by  his  message,  that  men 
so  vitally  needed,  he  sought  the  fitting  times  to  preach  to 
men,  turning  everything  to  good  account,  as  one  who 

“Finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 

Sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything.” 

2.  PROGRESSIVE  APPRECIATION.— Jesus  expected  men 
to  have  a  progressive  appreciation  of  his  words.  They  could 
not  at  first  attain  to  the  heights  of  his  truth.  The  mind  and 
heart  must  be  trained  through  contact  with  Jesus  himself 
in  order  to  secure  this  appreciation  in  largeness.  The 
Christly  character  would  be  the  condition  of  complete  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  Christly  message.  Time,  service,  and  fellowship 

1  Mt.  12:50. 


56 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


with  Jesus  wrould  bring  progress  to  those  who  would  enter  the 
fulness  of  his  teachings.  Even  the  Twelve,  who  were  granted 
the  closest  contact  with  Jesus  and  who  should  continue  his 
work,  did  not  at  first  fully  comprehend  the  preaching  of 
Jesus  in  its  broadest  outlines.  The  rebuke  of  the  Risen 
Master  to  the  two  disciples  on  the  road  to  Emmaus  was 
justly  applicable  to  the  others  as  to  these:  “O  foolish  men, 
and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  in  all  that  the  prophets  have 
spoken/' 1 

Jesus  had  promised  the  enlightening  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
order  to  lead  his  followers  into  this  larger  appreciation  of  his 
gospel:  “But  the  Comforter,  even  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  the 
Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all  things, 
and  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  that  I  said  unto  you.”  2 

The  apostolic  history  attests  the  wisdom  of  this  plan. 
Jesus  preached  upon  themes  that  could  be  understood  only 
after  much  meditation  and  fellowship  with  the  truth.  The 
message  was  great  and  the  mind  unfolds  in  touch  with  it. 
Growth  in  grace  and  knowledge  was  the  privilege  of  his  im¬ 
mediate  audiences,  and  the  Christian  centuries  have  given 
men  a  clearer  insight  into  the  preaching  of  this  peerless 
Preacher. 

II.  The  Chief  Words  of  His  Themes 

1.  THE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD. — Jesus  came  as  the  Jewish 
Messiah,  the  Anointed,  the  Christ.  His  most  frequent  ex¬ 
pression  was  “kingdom  of  heaven,”  or  “kingdom  of  God,” 
or  “kingdom,”  terms  synonymous.  The  expression  occurs 
in  the  Gospels  seventy-eight  times  and  represents  about 
thirty  occasions  distributed  through  all  periods  of  his  minis¬ 
try.  There  is  not  any  record  of  his  use  of  it  after  his  resur¬ 
rection. 


1  Lk.  24:  25. 


2  Jn.  14:26. 


HIS  THEMES 


57 


By  the  kingdom  of  God  Jesus  meant  the  Messianic  reign 
in  the  heart  and  life  of  the  believer.  Likeness  to  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world  was  lacking  in  matters  of  social  prestige,  pre¬ 
ferment  through  favoritism,  and  territorial  boundaries.  It 
should  be  the  sovereignty  of  God,  exercised  through  the 
Messiah,  and  limited  to  the  spiritual  forces.  Whatever 
externals  of  land,  property,  or  power  might  come  into  rela¬ 
tionship  with  this  kingdom  would  be  considered  as  correlative 
benefits  and  not  as  constituent  elements. 

Half  of  Jesus’  recorded  parables  deal  with  the  nature, 
principles,  growth  and  consummation  of  the  kingdom.  The 
Synoptics  give  the  record  of  this  term  with  but  two  excep¬ 
tions;  the  Fourth  Gospel  prefers  the  term  eternal  life. 

2.  THE  SON  OF  MAN. — Throughout  his  ministry  Jesus 
referred  to  himself  as  the  Son  of  man.  His  first  recorded 
use  of  it  was  in  his  conversation  with  Nathanael  near  the 
first  of  his  ministry;  his  last  use  of  it  was  during  his  Jew¬ 
ish  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin  after  daylight.  Fifty- two  ref¬ 
erences,  representing  about  thirty  occasions,  remain  in  the 
Gospels.  Jesus  named  himself  the  Son  of  man  because  he 
entered  into  the  full  human  nature,  sharing  the  inheritance 
of  culture,  bearing  the  burdens  cf  sorrow,  knowing  the  power 
of  the  common  temptations,  humiliating  himself  into  the 
form  of  a  servant,  enduring  certain  limitations  of  the  flesh, 
and  really  incarnating  God;  but  behind  this  participation  in 
the  full  life  of  the  race  were  the  forces  of  the  divine  character, 
enabling  him  to  conquer  adverse  tendencies  and  environ¬ 
ments  and  proving  himself  the  Sinless  One. 

He  mentioned  himself  under  the  dual  disposition  of  Son 
of  God  and  Son  of  man.  Whatever  theological  and  meta¬ 
physical  difficulties  men  have  found  in  efforts  to  explain  this 
union  of  God  and  man  did  not  obtain  with  Jesus.  For  Jesus 
the  term  Son  of  man  was  Messianic.  He  emphasized 


58 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


with  this  term  his  Messianic  vocation,  using  it  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  his  suffering,  death,  resurrection,  and  second  com- 
ing. 

3.  ETERNAL  LIFE. — The  Gospel  of  John  presents  the 
idea  of  eternal  life  as  the  purpose  of  Jesus.  The  record  and 
the  interpretation  of  Jesus’  words  were  given  this  form. 
But  it  is  the  same  thought  in  fundamentals  that  the  Synoptics 
had  given  under  the  term  kingdom.  Jesus  had  come  to 
accomplish  a  definite  salvation  for  men,  which  could  become 
personally  effective  only  as  the  individual  sinner  came  into 
fellowship  with  the  King  and  bowed  the  will  to  the  divine 
sovereignty;  the  result  would  mean  enduring  life. 

4.  SIN  AND  RIGHTEOUSNESS. — In  the  wilderness  of 
Judea  one  day  the  strange  ascetic,  clothed  in  camel’s  hair 
and  nourished  upon  locusts  and  honey,  John  the  Baptist, 
startled  Jewry  with  the  command,  “Repent  ye;  for  the  king¬ 
dom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.”  The  people  crowded  from  city 
and  village  to  hear  him,  whose  only  self-praise  was  that  he 
was  but  a  voice  to  declare  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  The 
call  to  repentance  rang  out  fearlessly  and  clearly.  Saint  and 
sinner  found  a  new  interest  in  life,  though  such  interest 
might  mean  a  reversal  of  life’s  plans. 

Jesus  caught  up  this  call  to  repentance  as  the  fundamental 
postulate  of  his  ministry.  More  than  any  other  prophet  he 
could  realize  the  nature  and  the  penalty  of  sin,  and  hence 
the  need  for  repentance  as  the  condition  of  a  new  life.  The 
individual  will  had  followed  its  right  of  choice  and  had  dis¬ 
obeyed  the  divine  will,  and  therefore  had  become  selfish, 
rebellious,  depraved,  sinful.  Sin  had  brought  the  curse  upon 
men,  who  were  no  longer  in  fellowship  with  God,  but  sinful 
and  condemned.  Jesus  came  to  tell  men  that  he  would  free 
them  from  the  bondage  of  sin  upon  the  condition  of  personal 
repentance  and  acceptance  of  his  Lordship.  The  result 


HIS  THEMES 


59 


would  be  a  righteousness  to  the  sinner  which  would  be  both 
imputed  and  imparted.  This  righteousness  must  become  an 
experience  and  could  not  be  identified  with  ceremonials. 
Pharisaism  should  become  a  thing  of  the  past.  “For  I  say 
unto  you,  that  except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.”  1 

5.  HIS  DEATH  AND  RESURRECTION. — The  disciples 
were  slow  to  learn  the  place  that  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus  should  occupy  in  his  Saviourhood.  They  drew 
back  from  the  shadows  that  fell  across  his  chosen  path¬ 
way;  they  sought  to  spare  him  suffering  and  shame;  they 
preferred  for  him  royal  honor  and  power.  Jesus  sought 
to  show  them  his  coming  death  in  its  divine  perspective. 
His  timid  and  short-sighted  disciples  could  not  share  his 
confidence  that  victory  for  human  redemption  and  glory  for 
himself  lay  beyond  the  Cross  and  the  Tomb. 

6.  GOD  THE  FATHER. — The  doctrine  of  the  Father¬ 
hood  of  God  was  made  central  in  the  preaching  of  Jesus. 
Men  had  named  God  in  their  efforts  at  true  worship  under 
the  titles  of  Jehovah,  the  Almighty,  the  Unseen,  and  even  the 
Unknown,  while  the  list  of  divinities  discouraged  attempts  to 
number  them.  Man  had  reached  lax  fingers  for  the  truth, 
trying  to  “seek  God,  if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him  and 
find  him.”  2  Creed  and  ceremonial  had  responded  to  this 
striving  after  God.  The  thought  of  God  as  Father  had  been 
dimly  grasped  by  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  but  its  com¬ 
plete  revelation  through  Jesus  came  almost  as  a  new  thought 
to  religious  circles. 

This  term  of  human  ties  was  transformed  by  Jesus.  The 
word  father  could  never  lose  its  value  to  men  when  Jesus 
had  put  into  it  the  story  of  God’s  love  for  men.  He  taught 
iMt.  5:20.  2  Acts  17:27. 


60 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


men  to  say  “Abba,  Father,”  when  they  had  accepted  the 
Lordship  of  the  Son  of  God,  for  full  confidence  should  be 
had  in  his  assurance  that  “he  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen 
the  Father.”  1  The  Fatherhood  of  God  did  not  extend  to 
all  men  without  regard  to  character,  but  only  to  those  who 
entered  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  the  Saviour.  The  Father¬ 
hood  should  be  one  of  character  not  of  creation.  To  his 
bitter  critics  Jesus  declared  their  fatherhood  in  Satan. 
Likeness  to  spiritual  ancestry  is  as  real  as  that  to  physical 
and  mental  ancestry. 

7.  MINOR  THEMES. — In  addition  to  these  chief  words 
of  his  themes  Jesus  preached  upon  other  important  sub¬ 
jects  which  may  be  classed  as  minor  themes  because 
not  so  frequent  and  prominent.  Jesus  never  lost  the  true 
relation  of  truths,  his  vision  being  discriminative  and  ex¬ 
tended. 

Mention  may  be  made  of  certain  topics  that  also  entered 
into  his  preaching:  fasting,  which  should  be  the  natural 
expression  of  the  spiritual  state  rather  than  a  stated  cere¬ 
monial;  the  Sabbath,  whose  ministry  to  man  should  control 
its  observance  in  worship  and  benevolences;  almsgiving, 
which  should  be  wdthout  pomp  and  desire  for  public  ap¬ 
proval;  mutual  forgiveness,  which  should  indicate  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  the  heart  that  would  accept  the  divine  forgiveness; 
humility,  which  should  express  true  greatness  and  attain 
reward  through  lowly  service ;  care  for  the  poor,  which  should 
be  controlled  by  principles  of  equity  and  considerateness; 
evangelization  of  the  world,  which  should  be  the  personal 
and  imperative  concern  of  each  believer  in  Jesus.  His 
preaching  reached  all  limits  of  human  conduct.  He  sug¬ 
gested  the  guiding  principle  for  life  in  its  varied  duties  and 
responsibilities. 


1  Jn.  14:  9. 


HIS  THEMES 


61 


III.  The  Limits  of  His  Themes 

1.  HORIZON  OF  EXPERIENCE.— The  themes  of  Jesus 
touched  the  horizon  of  men’s  experience.  Versatile  in  treat¬ 
ment,  gracious  in  delivery,  exhaustless  in  resources,  this 
Preacher  treated  themes  of  universal  interest.  He  reached 
the  far-away  possibilities  of  the  heart.  Certainly  no  one 
would  claim  that  he  uttered  every  thought  that  men  may 
have,  but  he  did  outline  the  principles  that  may  guide  men 
in  every  relationship  and  duty.  He  embraced  in  his  preach¬ 
ing  all  classes,  ages,  and  contingencies.  One  may  feel  his 
personal  approval  to-day  as  if  one  had  stood  in  the  company 
that  listened  to  him  on  the  beach  of  Galilee.  His  truths  are 
deathless. 

2.  SUBJECTS  OF  SUPREME  VALUE.— Themes  of  su¬ 
preme  value  engaged  Jesus’  time.  Man’s  relation  to  two 
worlds,  the  one  here  and  the  other  hereafter,  was  worthy  of 
his  discussion.  For  him  the  Psalm  of  Life  was  but  the 
prelude  to  the  Song  of  the  Lamb.  In  his  neglect  of  trivial 
topics  he  was  in  great  contrast  to  the  rabbis,  who  found 
great  delight  in  determining  the  moral  issue  in  eating  an  egg 
that  had  been  laid  on  the  Sabbath.  These  casuists  had  in¬ 
tellectual  descendants  in  the  schoolmen  of  a  later  century. 
Jesus  was  not  reduced  to  trifles  of  thought;  he  had  a  message 
for  men. 

In  his  treatment  of  the  everyday  phases  of  life  Jesus  put 
his  demand  for  spirituality.  He  touched  upon  the  household 
affairs  and  told  of  how  in  the  future  one  woman  might  be 
taken  from  the  grinding  mill  and  the  other  left;  the  silent 
forces  of  the  leaven  could  set  forth  those  expansive  powers 
of  the  kingdom  that  would  make  for  universal  supremacy 
of  the  King.  He  could  treat  topics  of  the  field  without  be¬ 
coming  rustic,  or  the  problems  of  finance  without  becoming 


62 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


avaricious,  or  even  the  laws  of  the  sanctuary  without  bigotry 
and  persecution.  His  brief  ministry  was  too  short  to  tithe 
the  anise  and  cummin  of  thought  while  there  remained  the 
weightier  matters  of  vital  interest  to  a  lost  world. 

3.  TOPICS  PRIMARILY  RELIGIOUS— Religion  was  the 
chief  concern  of  Jesus.  He  was  the  Preacher.  He  did  not 
profess  to  be  a  philosopher,  reformer,  economist,  or  poli¬ 
tician.  He  came  to  preach  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  through  his  own  sacrifice  to  make  this  kingdom 
effective.  His  message  naturally  had  bearing  upon  various 
aspects  of  life,  social,  civic,  and  moral,  but  these  could  not 
limit  his  purpose.  Jesus  recognized  religion  as  the  greatest 
factor  in  the  progress  of  the  world.  He  made  religion  the 
first  thing:  “  Seek  ye  first  his  kingdom  and  his  righteousness.” 
For  him  all  conduct  should  be  based  upon,  inspired  by,  and 
valued  by  the  religious  attitude.  Only  the  religious  man  can 
have  the  full  measure  of  experience. 

IV.  The  Preacher  and  His  Themes 

1.  THE  MESSAGE  IMPARTED. — Jesus  was  the  revela¬ 
tion  of  God  under  finite  limitations.  He  affirmed  that  his 
message  came  from  the  Father:  “He  that  loveth  me  not 
keepeth  not  my  words:  and  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not 
mine,  but  the  Father’s  who  sent  me.”  1  His  Farewell  Prayer 
contained  the  same  confession.  Yet  Jesus  was  fully  divine, 
and  one  must  not  let  the  fact  of  his  imparted  message  impair 
this  truth.  He  was  “the  Word”  and  “the  Word  was  God,” 
limited  to  the  flesh,  individualized  in  time  and  space,  offi¬ 
cially  subordinated  to  the  Trinity.  Jesus’  own  statement  is 
final;  he  came  from  the  Father  to  preach  and  to  die;  the 
Father  had  sent  him  with  the  message  and  the  commission. 
Jesus  knew  the  value  of  his  words. 


1  Jn.  14:  24. 


HIS  THEMES 


63 


2.  THE  MESSAGE  CHRISTO-CENTRIC.— The  Preacher 
had  a  unique  relation  to  his  message.  His  preaching  was 
Christo-centric.  He  was  its  centre  and  power.  He  claimed 
chief  place  for  honor  and  worship.  His  entire  ministry 
must  be  referred  to  himself  for  its  rationale.  Without  Jesus 
the  Person  the  preaching  of  Jesus  would  have  been  valueless. 
In  himself  must  be  found  the  justification  for  his  preaching. 
God  must  be  introduced  by  Jesus.  He  set  forth  the  outlines 
of  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  men  could  enter  into  its  benefits 
only  as  they  crowned  this  Preacher  King  over  their  hearts. 
He  sketched  certain  ethical  duties,  but  men  could  find  joy  in 
their  discharge  only  as  he  might  furnish  the  dynamic  of  love. 

3.  THE  MESSAGE  A  REFLECTION  OF  EXPERI¬ 
ENCE. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  reflected  his  own  experi¬ 
ence.  He  lived  his  message  prior  to  its  delivery.  God’s 
voice  rang  through  him.  He  could  utter  his  withering  in¬ 
vectives  against  Pharisaism  because  his  own  life  was  free 
from  hypocrisy.  He  could  lead  men  to  accept  God’s  will 
because  his  own  life  could  anticipate  its  Gethsemane.  His 
demand  for  brotherly  love  had  first  emphasis  in  his  own  gift 
of  himself  for  the  sinner,  and  “greater  love  hath  no  man  than 
this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.”  1  In  his 
victory  over  temptations  he  could  assure  the  tempted  of  every 
generation  that  he  would  enable  them  to  secure  a  similar 
victory. 

Jesus  put  himself  into  his  preaching.  His  reward  is  found 
in  the  world’s  acceptance  of  his  message.  Reflected  ex¬ 
perience  measures  the  worth  of  preaching. 

V.  The  Homiletical  Effect  of  His  Themes 

1.  ON  THE  SUBSTANCE. — Themes  partly  determine  the 
substance  of  preaching.  This  truism  does  not  need  more 

1  Jn.  15:  13. 


64 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


than  a  statement.  Jesus  remained  true  to  his  themes,  giving 
logical  treatment.  He  did  not  wander  from  his  text. 

2.  ON  THE  FORM. — Jesus  was  fortunate  in  his  selec¬ 
tion  of  the  forms  of  preaching.  He  could  use  the  methods 
of  exhortation,  parables,  interrogatory,  and  didactics.  His 
mastery  of  the  details  of  homiletics  wTas  complete.  He  was 
always  felicitous  in  his  choice  of  style.  He  might  have  chosen 
other  forms,  if  he  had  come  as  a  reformer  or  a  scientist.  But 
he  was  the  Preacher,  dealing  with  the  soul’s  problems.  He 
adopted  the  methods  that  would  enable  him  to  make  the 
presence  and  love  of  God  real  to  men,  to  impress  men  with 
their  responsibilities,  and  to  suggest  the  glories  of  the  future 
solemnities. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  DISCOURSE  MATERIAL  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  discourse  material  furnishes  the  basis  for  the  study 
of  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  Yet  certain  problems  are  peculiar 
to  this  material  as  such.  The  material  consists  of  fragmen¬ 
tary  sayings  and  discourses. 

I.  The  Problems  of  Harmony 

1.  FRAGMENTARY  REPORTS.— A  perfectly  satisfac¬ 
tory  Harmony  of  the  Gospels  yet  remains  a  desideratum. 
Scholars  differ  widely  upon  many  questions,  while  general 
agreement  is  had  on  many  points.  A  chief  problem  of 
harmony  is  found  in  the  nature  of  the  records  of  the  words 
and  deeds  of  Jesus.  The  discourse  material  is  in  the  form  of 
reports  that  were  written  years  after  the  original  delivery. 
It  was  not  the  intention  of  the  writers  to  give  more  than 
fair  and  sufficient  reports.  ^The  opinion  at  the  close  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel  indicates  the  attitude  toward  this  material: 
“And  there  are  also  many  other  things  wThich  Jesus  did,  the 
which  if  they  should  be  written  every  one,  I  suppose  that 
even  the  world  itself  would  not  contain  the  books  that  should 
be  written.”1  Jesus  did  not  write  a  book  of  his  ministry.  He 
did  not  even  outline  what  such  a  book  should  contain.  The 
Gospel  writers  reported  his  preaching  for  evangelistic  and 
credential  purposes.  They  did  not  plan  to  write  biographies. 
They  were  content  to  give  a  faithful  reflection  of  his  ministry. 


5 


i  Jn.  21:25. 
65 


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THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


The  discourse  material  is  also  fragmentary.  The  Gospels 
present  a  mosaic  of  the  Preacher.  These  fragments  of  ser¬ 
mons  must  be  handled  by  one  with  the  historical  imagi¬ 
nation  which  enables  one  to  recast  the  thought,  life,  and 
civilization  of  the  dim  past.  The  rare  homiletical  genius  of 
Jesus  is  discovered  through  these  fragments.  The  more 
detailed  accounts  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the 
Farewell  Discourse  and  Prayer  show  wdiat  might  have  been 
expected  from  longer  records,  which  would  have  enlarged 
our  sources  of  knowledge  but  not  the  accuracy  of  our  in¬ 
formation. 

The  mass  of  the  material  corrects  the  danger  of  inductions 
from  fragmentary  reports.  The  student  of  the  preaching  of 
Jesus  has  an  enlarging  confidence  in  the  reliability  of  his 
records,  which  profess  to  give  a  true  account  of  Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing.  Various  purposes  may  classify  this  discourse  material. 
We  group  it  into  the  fragmentary  sayings  and  the  discourses. 
Here  again  there  is  room  for  preferences.  We  list  fifty-four 
discourses  and  fifty-two  important  fragmentary  sayings.  In¬ 
cidental  and  minor  words  would  be  too  numerous  to  cata¬ 
logue.  Parallels  are  combined. 

2.  TRUSTWORTHINESS. — The  assumption  of  the  trust¬ 
worthiness  of  the  records  of  the  preaching  of  Jesus  is  basal 
to  our  study.  Scholarly  vandalism  would  lay  waste  this  work 
of  genius  as  remorselessly  as  the  ancient  Vandals  destroyed 
the  Italian  works  of  art. 

The  history  of  biblical  criticism  discovers  three  types  of 
attitude  toward  the  Bible.  The  ultra-conservative  refrains 
from  explanations  of  the  growth  of  the  form  and  materials 
of  the  Book.  The  extreme  radical  attempts  to  bring  every¬ 
thing  within  the  scope  of  his  own  theory  of  development;  he 
often  resorts  to  minute  divisions  of  the  books  and  these  are 
assigned  to  various  writers ;  he  asserts  that  the  authors  of  the 


HIS  DISCOURSE  MATERIAL 


67 


Book  were  subject  to  the  same  chances  of  errors  of  judgment 
and  statement  that  are  found  in  profane  authors,  there  not 
being  any  overruling  mind.  The  mediating  critic  seeks  to 
appropriate  the  good  of  modem  research  and  still  to  main¬ 
tain  the  traditional  faith  in  the  integrity  of  the  Book. 

The  conflict  of  opinions  has  been  sharp  and  often  bitter. 
One  can  not  afford  to  be  blind  to  the  modern  methods  and 
suggested  results  of  biblical  scholarship,  but  one  need  not 
feel  compelled  to  encamp  with  the  radicals  in  order  to  be  in 
the  company  of  good  scholars.  Many  difficult  literary  ques¬ 
tions  are  justly  connected  with  the  records  of  Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing;  one  does  not  care  to  overlook  these.  The  origin,  the 
nature,  the  history,  and  the  relations  of  the  documents  all  in- 
vite  the  attention  of  the  student.  Our  present  plan,  how¬ 
ever,  is  not  to  treat  these,  since  these  have  called  forth  an 
ample  literature.  We  accept  the  Gospels  as  a  trustworthy 
record  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  They  present  the  data  for 
a  synthetic  view  of  Jesus  the  Preacher. 

V 

3.  THE  TIME  ELEMENT. — Many  problems  of  chro¬ 
nology  appear  in  a  study  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  With  these 
we  are  not  specially  concerned.  General  agreement  among 
the  harmonists  of  the  Gospels  occurs,  so  that  one  may  adopt 
a  tentative  order  and  grouping  of  events  in  the  ministry  of 
Jesus.  The  length  of  his  ministry  is  variously  held  to  be 
from  one  to  four  years.  We  accept  the  theory  of  the  approxi¬ 
mate  three  years’  duration,  and  group  the  discourses  thus: 1 

Period  I. — The  Opening  Ministry  in  Various  Sections, 
from  the  Passover  in  April  27  a.  d.  to  December  27  a.  d., 
with  discourses  1-3,  and  fragmentary  sayings  1-7. 

Period  II. — The  First  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry, 
from  December  27  a.  d.  to  Early  Summer  28  a.  d.,  with 
discourses  4-7,  and  fragmentary  sayings  8-14. 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1. 


68 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Period  III. — Second  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry,  from 
the  Early  Summer  28  a.  d.  to  the  Passover  in  April  29  a.  d., 
with  discourses  8-17,  and  fragmentary  sayings  15-24. 

Period  IV. — The  Third  Period  of  the  Galilean  Ministry, 
from  the  Passover  29  a.  d.  to  Autumn  29  a.  d.,  with  dis¬ 
courses  18-22,  and  fragmentary  sayings  25-30. 

Period  V. — The  Closing  Ministry,  from  Autumn  29  a.  d. 
to  the  Passover  in  April  30  a.  d.,  with  discourses  23-43,  and 
fragmentary  sayings  31-39. 

Period  VI. — The  Last  Week,  during  the  Passover  30  a.  d. 
with  discourses  44-54,  and  fragmentary  sayings  39-52. 

4.  QUESTIONS  OF  GEOGRAPHY.— It  is  impossible  from 
present  data  to  locate  accurately  all  the  events  of  Jesus’ 
ministry.  The  greatest  variations  of  opinion  are  regarding 
the  discourses  28-40.  We  have  indicated  in  the  Appendix 
our  preferences  in  the  doubtful  cases  and  the  others  about 
which  there  is  general  agreement.  Space  forbids  discussion 
of  the  questions. 

5.  HISTORICAL  SITUATIONS.— From  the  records  it 
seems  that  certain  discourses  have  more  than  one  historical 
setting.  This  is  a  problem  for  the  harmonist.  We  give  here 
the  results  of  the  specialists  who  are  competent  to  speak. 
It  would  have  been  quite  natural  for  a  travelling  preacher  to 
repeat  himself  either  in  part  or  in  entire  discourses.  While 
repetitions  occur,  one  must  distinguish  these  from  similarities 
of  statement. 

II.  The  Synoptic  Discourses 

1.  MATERIAL  DISTRIBUTED. — Forty-one  discourses  of 
Jesus  are  recorded  by  the  Synoptics.  Out  of  the  twenty-one 
recorded  by  Matthew,  only  two  are  peculiar  to  him;  none  are 
peculiar  to  Mark;  out  of  the  thirty-six  recorded  by  Luke, 
twenty  are  peculiar  to  him;  Matthew  and  Mark  have  three 


HIS  DISCOURSE  MATERIAL 


69 


discourses  in  common,  Matthew  and  Luke  two;  Matthew, 
Mark  and  Luke  fourteen.  The  Gospel  of  Luke  deserves  the 
title  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Discourses.  It  has  more  peculiar 
to  it  than  any  other,  and  has  but  two  less  than  Matthew  arid 
Mark  together. 

These  Synoptic  discourses  are  assigned  to  all  periods  of 
Jesus’  ministry  except  the  first.  The  combination  of  the 
three  records  is  most  largely  represented  by  six  discourses  in 
the  last  period.  The  large  series  of  discourses  given  by  Luke 
in  period  five  deserves  special  notice,  the  series  being  broken 
only  three  times.  It  will  appear  that  the  Synoptics  furnish 
data  for  all  periods  of  Jesus’  ministry.  They  contain  twenty- 
two  out  of  the  thirty  public  discourses. 

2.  SINGLE  AND  COMPLEX  ACCOUNTS.— Twenty-two 
of  the  forty-one  Synoptic  discourses  are  single  accounts,  be¬ 
ing  recorded  by  only  one  writer;  Matthew  gives  two  and  Luke 
the  others.  These  single  records  do  not  offer  special  diffi¬ 
culties  as  records.  There  are  only  a  few  double-account  rec¬ 
ords,  three  by  Matthew-Mark  and  two  by  Matthew-Luke. 
This  leaves  fourteen  discourses  for  the  triple  records.  The 
task,  then,  of  securing  a  composite  view  of  the  Preacher  will 
not  appear  so  hopeless.  The  differences,  due  to  varieties  of 
style  and  purpose,  invite  attempts  at  solution  but  do  not 
materially  hinder  a  study  of  the  homiletical  method  of  Jesus, 
Plurality  of  accounts  really  establishes  confidence  in  the  work 
of  the  student.  Such  problems  as  are  germane  to  our  thesis 
will  find  timely  and  suitable  discussion. 

III.  The  Johannine  Discourses 

The  thirteen  discourses  in  the  Gospel  of  John  are  not 
found  elsewhere  and  are  assigned  to  all  periods  of  Jesus’ 
ministry.  Whether  this  Gospel  presents  a  different  Preacher 
from  him  of  the  Synoptics  will  appear  later. 


70 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


IV.  The  Fragmentary  Sayings 

The  fragmentary  sayings  of  Jesus  present  a  subordinate 
but  valuable  discourse  material.  They  are  formed  by  the 
words  of  Jesus  that  could  not  be  classed  as  discourses,  either 
from  their  brevity  or  narrative  nature.  Some  of  them  doubt¬ 
less  were  originally  parts  of  extended  discourses.  They  help 
toward  a  correct  estimate  of  his  preaching.  The  Appendix 
catalogues  the  most  important  ones.1 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  2. 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  RHETORICAL  FORM  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  expressed  himself  with  rhetorical  force  and  beauty. 
He  spoke  the  current  Greek  vernacular,  which  had  lost  much 
of  the  elegance  of  classic  Greek,  and  also  the  Aramaic,  which 
was  a  corruption  of  the  ancient  Hebrew,  and  yet  his  recorded 
speech  kept  true  to  those  basal  laws  of  good  speech  found  in 
all  languages.  Culture  indicates  itself  through  regard  to 
these  fundamentals,  which  the  science  of  rhetoric  has  dis¬ 
covered  and  correlated. 

Jesus  is  not  to  be  classed  with  those  rhetoricians  who  have 
cared  more  for  the  forms  than  for  the  materials  of  thought. 
The  normal  mental  life  of  the  Son  of  man  followed  the 
processes  of  expression  that  obtain  with  an  educated  mind  of 
any  race  and  time.  His  preaching  will  continue  to  appeal  to 
all  classes  of  men  not  only  for  the  value  of  its  religious  mes¬ 
sage  but  also  for  the  incomparable  dignity  and  beauty  of  its 
forms.  His  homiletics  would  gain  him  an  abiding  audience 
and  interest;  his  ministry  and  Saviourhood  made  him  eter¬ 
nally  peerless. 


I.  Illustrative  Homiletics 

1.  METHOD. — Jesus  was  an  illustrator  of  truth.  He 
did  not  use  pen  or  brush,  but  his  words  have  left  fadeless 
pictures  that  charm  and  stir  the  heart.  He  was  not  an  au¬ 
thor,  but  his  words  have  given  inspiration  to  numberless 
books  to  explain  and  enforce  his  message  during  the  Christian 

71 


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THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


centuries.  He  presented  his  thought  through  many  illustra¬ 
tions  of  various  forms.  The  parables  because  of  their  length, 
importance,  and  uniqueness  will  require  separate  treatment, 
though  they  are  to  be  classed  as  illustrations. 

Even  a  casual  reading  of  the  Gospels  will  show  how  largely 
Jesus  used  the  ordinary  rhetorical  forms.  His  pictures  are 
found  on  almost  each  page  of  the  records.  It  would  be 
impracticable  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the  illustrative  figures 
of  Jesus,  while  something  of  his  custom  may  be  grasped  by 
one  example.  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  as  given  by 
Matthew,  we  have  counted  sixty-two  figures  of  speech.  A 
detailed  examination  of  his  words  will  confirm  this  example 
of  his  illustrative  gift. 

From  the  very  large  list  of  his  word-pictures  a  few  familiar 
ones  may  be  cited :  salt,  light,  bread,  water,  treasure,  mote  and 
beam,  dogs,  swine,  two  gates  and  two  ways,  trees  and  their 
fruits,  physician  and  patients,  harvest  and  laborers,  serpent 
and  doves,  bad  leaven,  church  rock,  keys,  eye  of  needle,  gnat 
and  camel,  whitewashed  tombs,  hen  and  chickens,  lightning, 
vultures,  house  servants,  Temple,  breeze,  day  and  night, 
door  and  shepherd,  the  Good  Shepherd,  grain  of  wheat,  vine, 
travail,  wrell,  sheep  and  goats.  These  similes  and  metaphors 
might  be  almost  indefinitely  cited,  for  Jesus  had  complete 
mastery  over  the  art  of  illustration. 

2.  CHARACTERISTICS. — A  wide  range  of  life  was  cov¬ 
ered  by  Jesus’  illustrative  homiletics.  He  entered  into  the 
full  life  and  interests  of  men.  Inspired  by  his  plan  of  redemp¬ 
tion  for  sinners,  enthusiastic  in  his  efforts  to  reach  with  his 
remedy  the  cases  of  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual  need,  and 
wonderfully  tender  and  versatile  in  his  response  to  the  misery 
caused  by  sin,  Jesus  adapted  himself  to  the  current  modes  of 
thought  and  living  of  those  to  be  benefited.  He  did  not 
approve  in  theory  or  practice  of  the  life  of  the  hermit.  The 


RHETORICAL  FORM 


73 


Logia  of  Jesus,  discovered  in  Egypt  in  1897,  contained  this 
saying  as  from  Jesus: 

“Raise  the  stone  and  thou  shalt  find  me, 

Cleave  the  wood  and  there  am  I.” 

Upon  this  word  the  beautiful  poem,  The  Toiling  of  Felix , 
is  based.  Young  Felix  goes  out  in  search  of  the  holy  life, 
hoping  to  end  his  task  in  a  hermit's  retreat  away  from  men 
and  social  duties. 

“One  by  one  he  dropped  the  duties  of  the  common  life  of  care, 

Broke  the  human  ties  that  bound  him,  laid  his  spirit  waste  and  bare.” 

Through  many  failures  he  found  his  way  finally  to  an  old 
hermit,  who  gave  him  a  papyrus  leaf  with  the  above  inscrip¬ 
tion.  Young  Felix  realized  that  his  plans  had  been  wrong 
and  returned  to  help  in  the  common  tasks  of  men,  finding 
here  the  presence  and  blessing  of  his  Master. 

“This  is  the  Gospel  of  Labor — ring  it,  ye  bells  of  the  kirk; 

The  Lord  of  love  came  down  from  above  to  live  with  the  men  who  work.”  1 

The  words  of  Jesus  abound  with  references  to  agricultural 
life.  The  farmer  may  be  thrilled  with  joy  as  he  listens  to 
Jesus.  He  sees  the  grain  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  to  die 
and  to  live  again  in  the  larger  harvest,  which  process  Jesus 
made  a  symbol  of  the  eternal  life;  he  watches  the  waving 
harvest-field,  ripened  for  the  sickle,  and  learns  of  that  more 
precious  world-field  of  souls.  The  home-life  presents  a 
favorite  source  of  figures;  one  may  watch  the  preparation  of 
the  daily  meal,  and  learn  from  the  silent  leaven  the  force 
that  shall  gradually  enlarge  and  empower  the  spiritual  king¬ 
dom  of  God;  one  may  hear  the  growl  of  the  dogs  beneath 
the  table  and  remember  the  woman  whose  humility  would 
1  Henry  van  Dyke,  The  Toiling  of  Felix. 


74 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


accept  even  the  crumbs  intended  for  the  dogs;  the  merry 
laugh  of  the  children  at  play  mingles  with  the  wailing  of  the 
hired  mourners,  and  one  may  know  how  intimate  was  Jesus’ 
fellowship  with  social  conditions  in  the  home-life  of  his  times. 
The  merchant  of  to-day  may  be  more  closely  linked  to  his 
far-away  predecessors,  who  heard  the  commercial  world 
illustrated  and  translated  by  terms  of  spiritual  values,  as 
Jesus  spoke  of  the  moth-covered  treasures  and  the  barter 
that  would  suggest  the  soul  and  the  world  in  exchange. 
The  civic  duties,  with  the  taxes  and  the  kings,  and  the 
social  life,  with  the  weddings  and  funerals,  seem  almost  a 
part  of  our  own  experience,  so  vividly  did  Jesus  picture 
them. 

The  pictorial  homiletics  reveal  the  open-eyed  illustrator. 
Jesus  did  not  close  his  eyes  to  the  pulsating  life  around  him. 
He  himself  suggested  that  one  should  keep  true  to  the  func¬ 
tions  of  the  members,  for  some  people  have  eyes  and  see  not. 
One  may  scan  the  flowers  with  unseeing  eyes  and  may  lose 
their  mission  of  beauty  through  form  and  color. 

“  A  primrose  by  the  river’s  brim 
A  yellow  primrose  was  to  him, 

And  it  was  nothing  more.” 

But  to  Jesus  the  myriad  voices  came  from  the  physical  world 
with  their  suggestions  of  analogues  for  the  spiritual  realities. 
His  illustrations  were  often  suggested  by  the  flitting  occasion, 
and  thus  preserve  a  naturalness  and  a  vitality  that  invite 
admiration  but  discourage  imitation. 

Simplicity  and  brevity  mark  these  word-pictures.  Jesus’ 
longest  illustration  was  the  parable  of  the  Sower  with  the 
explanation,  and  yet  a  few  minutes  would  suffice  for  its 
recital.  This  trait  is  in  sharp  and  singular  contrast  to  the 
involved  and  lengthy  style  of  many  speakers  and  preachers. 


RHETORICAL  FORM 


75 


If  brevity  be  the  soul  of  wit,  simplicity  should  be  the  body 
of  an  illustration.  Jesus  never  wearied  his  audience  with  at¬ 
tenuated  verbosity.  His  clear,  sparkling,  and  fresh  imagery 
invites  the  vision  into  the  limpid  depths  of  his  thought.  He 
did  not  tell  all  the  story;  he  left  something  to  the  imagination. 
The  master  artist  may  use  but  few  strokes. 

The  illustrations  of  Jesus  have  a  continuous  and  a  universal 
touch  upon  the  heart.  This  is  true  both  of  his  short  and  long 
imagery,  words,  phrases,  and  parables.  The  parable  of  the 
Lost  Son,  the  poor  unfortunate  prodigal,  might  wrell  be  called 
the  parable  of  the  Bereaved  Father.  It  is  unequalled  in 
literature  for  its  tenderness,  grace,  and  pathos.  Jesus 
touched  the  soul’s  harp-strings  to  call  forth  the  bitter  threnody 
of  tears,  the  victorious  psean  of  faith,  the  hymn  of  adoration, 
the  dirge  of  the  lost,  but  the  unbroken  harmony  of  his  own 
sympathy  always  accompanied  the  strains  to  give  them 
setting  and  value.  He  was  gentle  and  loving,  but  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  paint  pictures  that  would  rebuke  the  unrepentant 
heart.  He  easily  entered  the  hearts  of  the  audiences  that 
crowded  around  him,  and  his  reported  wmrds  still  charm  a 
larger  audience. 

Jesus  preferred  the  concrete  word  rather  than  the  abstract. 
The  individual  definite  picture  was  desirable.  He  used  words 
with  local  color,  form,  and  beauty,  realizing  that  the  eyes  of 
the  mind  are  similar  to  the  physical  in  the  vividness  of  per¬ 
ception  of  the  concrete  object.  Modern  educational  science 
has  sought  to  emphasize  this  method,  translating  the  ana¬ 
logues  of  matter  and  spirit.  Jesus  did  not  unduly  exalt  the 
physical  objects,  for  these  should  only  be  aids  to  the  spiritual 
understanding.  Men  could  not  escape  the  charm,  directness, 
and  vividness  of  this  pictorial  method,  which  did  not  distract 
attention  from  his  meaning,  but  carried  the  picture  only  so 
far  that  it  made  the  truth  impressive. 


76 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


II.  Formal  Rhetorical  Homiletics 

1.  INTERROGATION. — Jesus  employed  the  interrogatory 
with  great  skill  and  effect.  This  method  has  been  named 
the  Socratic  method,  but  Jesus  was  a  greater  master  of  it  than 
Socrates.  By  it  the  sage  of  Athens  was  limited  to  the  innate 
and  experiential  truths  of  his  students’  minds,  while  Jesus 
could  add  to  this  the  divine  revelation.  The  records  of  his 
words  give  us  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  distinct  questions 
that  Jesus  asked.  Forty-seven  discourses  contain  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty-eight,  and  the  others  are  found  in  the  frag¬ 
mentary  sayings.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  has  twenty- 
three  interrogations.  Eighty-six  are  found  in  his  recorded 
words  for  the  last  six  months  of  his  ministry,  fifty-eight  of 
these  being  uttered  during  the  Last  Week.  Twelve  miracles 
and  twenty  parables  connect  with  this  form  of  address. 
The  tabulation  of  these  facts  furnishes  the  basis  for  the  sci¬ 
entific  observation  of  his  method.  Guesses  will  not  take  the 
place  of  facts. 

The  interrogatory  address  was  a  permanent  feature  of 
Jesus’  homiletics.  The  records  show  his  use  of  this  form  in 
all  periods  of  his  ministry,  the  large  number  during  the  Last 
Week  being  partly  explained  by  the  relative  fulness  of  the 
discourse  material  for  this  time.  This  form  was  used  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  delivered  near  the  first  of  his  ministry, 
and  this  fact  shows  that  Jesus  did  not  learn  this  method 
through  contact  with  his  audiences  and  especially  his  foes. 
He  knew  how  to  give  the  religious  value  to  the  interrogatory, 

All  forms  of  his  address  contained  this  trait.  The  brief 
and  incidental  fragmentary  sayings,  the  conversations  with 
individuals,  and  the  formal  discourses  before  groups  and 
multitudes  were  made  effective  by  his  incisive,  provocative 
questions.  Parables  and  illustrations  were  thus  introduced 


RHETORICAL  FORM 


77 


and  recited;  miracles  were  accompanied  by  questions  to 
secure  opinions  as  to  the  propriety  of  the  deed  or  to  express 
censure  for  lack  of  faith.  Only  a  great  orator  could  risk  his 
reputation  and  success  by  such  a  large  use  of  this  difficult 
form  of  address,  for  it  invited  responses  from  the  audience, 
and  such  a  privilege  might  well  unbalance  the  course  of  the 
speaker’s  thought.  Jesus  could  deflect  a  captious  question 
to  his  own  purpose  and  success.  The  audience  never  slipped 
from  his  control  by  a  difficult,  embarrassing,  and  unexpected 
question. 

Jesus  personalized  his  message  through  his  interrogations. 
A  direct  appeal  by  a  question  -will  often  awaken  the  indifferent 
hearer  to  the  personal  bearing  of  the  message.  This  psycho¬ 
logical  principle  lay  beneath  Jesus’  method.  Modern  peda- 
gogy  gives  proper  recognition  to  its  worth.  Jesus  brought  in 
this  way  his  message  so  close  to  his  audience  as  to  arouse 
anger  and  cause  confusion  among  his  critics,  while  he  drew 
nearer  to  himself  the  humble  seeker  for  eternal  life.  Dr.  John 
A.  Broadus  would  sometimes  prepare  a  written  list  of  ques¬ 
tions  for  class-room  work,  and  his  pupils  testify  to  his  ability 
to  carry  the  class  over  interruptions  to  his  intended  instruc¬ 
tion  and  personal  applications. 

The  interrogations  of  Jesus,  though  dependent  largely  upon 
the  occasion,  did  not  show  haste  in  origin  or  application. 
They  were  always  appropriate  and  timely.  His  intimate  and 
intuitive  knowledge  of  men  gave  him  absolute  assurance  that 
his  method  would  accomplish  its  desired  results,  reaching 
even  to  the  mental  attitude  of  his  hearers.  “Jesus  answered 
and  said,”  even  when  no  word  had  been  uttered  by  his 
audience. 

The  Synoptics  contain  a  few  double  questions,  in  which 
one  writer  will  put  the  matter  in  the  form  of  the  interrogatory 
and  another  in  the  direct  statement,  or  one  writer  will  omit 


78 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


part  of  the  record.  The  Gospel  of  John  does  not  give  any 
question  given  by  the  Synoptics  either  in  the  single  or  double 
form. 

2.  DENUNCIATION. — Wickedness  received  the  severe  de¬ 
nunciation  of  Jesus.  There  was  no  respect  of  the  person 
of  the  transgressor.  He  uttered  his  woes  against  the  Phari¬ 
sees,  who  violated  the  laws  of  simplicity  in  worship  and  who 
regarded  themselves  as  too  holy  for  the  touch  of  common 
people ;  the  white  sepulchre  was  a  fit  emblem  for  such  hypoc¬ 
risy.  Those  who  reared  class  distinctions  and  oppressed  the 
poor  received  his  woes  and  censure.  Passport  to  his  favor 
was  not  secured  because  of  name  or  position  in  society,  for  he 
touched  with  justice  the  shams  and  deceits  of  his  day  and 
admitted  to  his  friendship  men  whose  sole  recommendation  lay 
in  their  unworthiness  and  faith  in  himself.  Claimants  for 
popularity  because  of  external  piety  felt  his  keen  invective, 
cutting  and  stinging  like  a  whip  of  cords. 

Sharp  discriminative  irony  and  sarcasm  served  him  for 
ready  and  effective  weapons.  The  hypocrites  could  not  fail 
to  perceive  his  application  of  the  pictures  of  the  blind  leading 
the  blind,  of  the  careful  cleansing  of  the  outside  of  the  cup, 
and  of  the  father  giving  the  stone  or  the  scorpion  to  the 
hungry  son.  With  a  bravery  that  knew  but  overcame  the 
dangers  Jesus  gave  his  message,  making  enemies  wdio  would 
plan  his  sufferings  and  death,  and  reproaching  the  sinner  of 
every  social  rank.  His  denunciations  were  always  based 
upon  the  depravity  of  the  ones  condemned,  and  were  entirely 
free  from  personal  venom  and  hatred. 

3.  PERSUASION. — Formal  oratorical  persuasion  was  not 
largely  used  by  Jesus.  His  style  consisted  more  in  the  ap¬ 
peal  through  personality  and  the  inherent  worthiness  of  his 
words.  He  did  not  resort  to  the  arts  of  his  contemporaries 
in  order  to  secure  a  following.  His  life  and  mission  were 


RHETORICAL  FORM 


79 


the  real  and  sufficient  grounds  for  persuasion.  One  might 
justly  consider  his  attractiveness  of  personality  and  preach¬ 
ing  as  a  form  of  persuasion. 

4.  APOSTROPHE. — Literature  does  not  present  a  finer 
example  of  apostrophe  than  Jesus’  lament  over  Jerusalem. 
The  city  of  the  prophets,  favored  by  tokens  of  Jehovah’s 
presence  and  help,  the  centre  of  national  history  and  hopes, 
scene  of  the  incomparable  revelation  from  God,  brought  to 
this  Preacher  the  echoes  of  historic  voices  and  filled  him,  as 
he  stood  on  the  hill  overlooking  its  sacred  walls,  with  a  pre¬ 
science  of  coming  gloom  and  distress  for  the  city  which 
symbolized  that  New  Jerusalem  whose  glory  should  be  in 
its  purity  and  happiness.  “O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that 
killeth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth  them  that  are  sent  unto 
her!  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together, 
even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and 
ye  would  not!  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  deso¬ 
late.”1  Comment  would  not  enrich  the  pathos  and  beauty 
of  this  outburst  of  the  heart  of  the  Preacher. 

5.  CONDENSATION. — The  words  of  Jesus  had  the  vi¬ 
tality  of  the  living  grain.  His  thoughts  harvested  more 
than  a  hundredfold.  His  wisdom  was  so  great  that  scholar 
and  ignorant  man  have  found  an  unlimited  task  of  interpre¬ 
tation,  each  in  his  own  way  and  ability  seeking  the  message 
from  a  common  Lord.  Jesus  packed  into  short  proverbs 
the  materials  for  an  age-long  study  for  men,  while  his  dis¬ 
courses  give  the  student  constant  surprises  because  of  their 
vision  of  the  needs  of  the  human  heart  and  the  way  to  satisfy 
such  needs.  Jesus  did  not  exhaust  his  resources,  his  audi¬ 
ences  feeling  the  force  of  his  infinite  reserve  power.  His 
spoken  word  was  but  the  ray  of  sunshine;  he  himself  was 
the  sun. 


1  Mt.  23:37,  38. 


80 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


The  history  of  the  pulpit,  'which  has  produced  such  a 
rich  accumulation  of  sermonic  material  that  professes  to 
interpret  and  enforce  the  revelation  through  Jesus  and  his 
apostles,  attests  the  wonder  of  condensation  of  Jesus’  words. 
Jesus  and  his  preaching  furnish  the  dynamic  for  Christian 
preaching.  Research  into  his  words  but  illuminates  their 
glory. 

In  a  Dresden  art  gallery  may  be  found  a  silver-shelled 
egg.  The  silver  is  of  the  finest  and  is  burnished  and  deco¬ 
rated  ;  the  touch  of  a  secret  spring  bursts  the  shell  to  disclose 
a  golden  chicken;  another  secret  touch,  and  the  chicken 
opens  its  breast  to  exhibit  a  crown  of  gems;  yet  again  the 
touch  will  open  the  crown,  and  there  nestling  in  sparkling 
glory  is  seen  a  diamond  ring  which  outranks  all  its  coverings 
in  beauty  and  value.  So  opens  the  word  of  Jesus  to  the 
reverent  student. 

6.  REPETITION. — The  Gospels  assign  certain  sayings 
of  Jesus  to  more  than  one  historical  occasion.  The  list  of 
such  examples  would  vary  from  short,  partial  similarities  to 
real  repetitions.  This  custom  does  not  lessen  the  value  of 
his  homiletics.  It  would  be  entirely  natural  for  Jesus  in  his 
itineraries  to  repeat  a  former  truth  in  whole  or  in  part  and 
in  the  same  language.  His  purpose  was  not  to  give  each 
audience  a  new  truth.  The  Athenian  disposition  for  the 
newer  things  did  not  rule  his  method;  he  rather  adopted 
the  prophetic  method  of  “precept  upon  precept.”  The 
Preacher  was  more  concerned  about  men  than  about  a 
reputation  for  saying  new  things.  He  was  aiming  directly 
for  souls. 

Attention  has  been  called  to  the  simile  and  the  metaphor. 
Other  rhetorical  figures  occur  in  Jesus’  preaching,  but  these 
mav  not  here  have  a  large  discussion.  Almost  all  rhetorical 
forms  were  used  by  him.  Simple  citation  of  examples  will 


RHETORICAL  FORM 


81 


suffice  for  the  hyperbole,1  the  climax,2  the  paradox,  and 
the  paranomasia.4 

III.  A  View  of  Jesus  in  Rhetorical  Homiletics 

1.  HIS  POETIC  NATURE. — Jesus  was  a  true  poet.  He 
did  not  speak  or  write  in  verse,  but  he  had  the  real  poetic 
nature.  The  poet  is  the  seer  of  the  unseen,  the  lover  of  the 
true  and  beautiful,  the  soul  sensitized  to  receive  the  finer 
impressions  of  truth. 

2.  HIS  OUTLOOK  UPON  NATURE.— Jesus  was  more 
than  a  scientist.  He  did  not  formulate  laws  for  the  physical 
universe,  but  he  translated  these  laws  into  terms  of  the 
spiritual  experience.  To  him  nature  was  not  a  divinity, 
whose  will  was  supreme  and  unalterable,  but  God’s  method 
of  sustenance  for  the  physical  forces,  which  might  be  dis¬ 
placed  in  their  uniformity  in  behalf  of  the  higher  providential 
order  for  men.  Miracles  and  grace  are  herein  provided. 

3.  HIS  OUTLOOK  UPON  MAN.— The  depravity  of  men 
did  not  escape  the  notice  of  Jesus,  nor  did  he  seek  to  mini¬ 
mize  its  evil  results  and  calamities  to  men.  In  this  fact 
lay  the  need  and  justification  for  his  ministry  of  word,  deed, 
and  sacrifice.  Because  men  had  lost  the  uplift  of  God’s 
conscious  presence  Jesus  came  to  give  them  restored  favor 
with  God.  He  believed  that  men  could  be  redeemed  to  a 
life  of  personal  integrity  and  a  future  happiness.  But  the 
sole  condition  of  such  redemption  lay  in  himself.  He  wTould 
make  the  sacrifice  that  would  entitle  every  soul,  regard¬ 
less  how  far  astray  in  personal  depravity  he  may  have 
gone,  to  be  saved.  Contact  and  fellowship  with  himself 
should  be  the  method.  The  life  of  men  was  worth  the 
sacrifice. 

1  Lk.  14:  26;  Mt.  19:24. 

3Mt.  10:39 

6 


2Mt.  11:5. 

4  Mt.  8:  22;  16:  18,  25. 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


Historic  religions  of  great  worth  to  men  have  created  their 
sacred  literatures.  To  these  sacred  waitings  appeal  has 
been  made  to  enforce  acceptance  and  obedience  to  creed 
and  cult.  The  science  of  comparative  religions  has  in  modern 
times  called  attention  to  these  sacred  books  as  the  basis  for 
comparison  of  the  relative  values  of  these  religions.  Such 
study  has  brought  to  clear  view  a  great  variety  of  religious 
systems,  that  range  from  the  crude  story  of  the  effort  of 
the  savage  to  attain  to  something  beyond  himself  through 
incantation  to  the  highest  expressions  of  ethics  and  wor¬ 
ship. 

The  Old  Testament,  the  sacred  literature  of  the  Hebrews, 
holds  the  chief  place  in  the  library  of  religions.  It  wTas 
written  upon  the  assumption  that  Jehovah  was  speaking 
through  his  prophets  to  give  his  chosen  people  a  needed 
message.  Varied  in  authorship  and  dates  of  composition, 
manifold  in  emphasis  upon  the  duties  that  come  with  the 
wTorsliip  of  Jehovah,  uniform  in  recognition  of  the  divine 
origin  and  authority  for  the  message,  and  different  in  literary 
forms  and  excellence,  the  Old  Testament  books  were  gradu¬ 
ally  gathered  into  one  collection,  or  canon,  wdiich  had  reached 
completion  and  had  attained  universal  Hebrew  acceptance 
before  the  times  of  Jesus.  This  new  Preacher  would  be 
expected  to  give  some  notice  to  this  sacred  canon,  either  to 
accept  its  teachings  or  to  add  other  standards  for  faith. 

82 


HIS  USE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


83 


Jesus  had  a  vital  interest  in  his  Bible.  His  preaching  indi¬ 
cates  his  interest. 

I.  Jesus  the  Student  of  the  Old  Testament 

1.  HOW  HE  LEARNED  IT.— Jesus  learned  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  in  the  home,  the  village  school,  and  the  synagogue. 
Religious  instruction  formed  an  essential  part  of  the  educa¬ 
tion  of  a  Hebrew  youth.  Portions  of  the  Scriptures  were 
memorized.  The  village  school  gave  emphasis  to  the  na¬ 
tional  religious  ideals,  for  the  Hebrews  could  never  entirely 
escape  the  thought  that  Jehovah  had  a  real  part  in  their 
history  and  destiny.  The  Scriptures  were  read  and  ex¬ 
pounded  in  the  synagogues,  and  Jesus  early  formed  the 
habit  of  regular  attendance  upon  these  services.  The  sur¬ 
prise  that  Jesus  created  in  his  own  local  synagogue  was  not 
that  he  participated  in  the  worship,  but  that  he  was  so  gifted 
with  new  meanings  and  methods  concerning  the  Book.  He 
became  acquainted  with  his  Hebrew  Bible  in  his  boy¬ 
hood  and  doubtless  most  largely  from  the  instruction  of  his 
mother. 

2.  THE  TEXT. — Jesus  was  acquainted  wTith  the  two  cur¬ 
rent  forms  of  the  text  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  original 
Hebrew  and  the  Greek  translation,  or  Septuagint,  which 
had  been  made  between  250  b.  c.  and  150  b.  c.  Jesus  used 
the  Hebrew  copy  in  his  conduct  of  the  synagogue  worship, 
though  only  one  record  of  his  reading  it  remains  to  us.  His 
quotations  and  general  verbal  use  included  both  the  Hebrew 
and  the  Greek. 

3.  ITS  INSPIRATION.— Jesus  as  the  student  of  the  Old 
Testament  would  have  relation  to  the  question  of  the  inspira¬ 
tion  of  the  Old  Testament,  though  this  question  belongs  to 
modern  times.  The  Old  Testament  does  not  define  its  own 
inspiration  but  everywhere  assumes  what  one  means  by  such 


84 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


a  term.  Theories  and  definitions  are  the  product  of  com¬ 
paratively  recent  thought,  and  though  discussions  have  been 
prolific  there  is  yet  lacking  a  satisfactory  definition  of  the 
term  both  as  to  fact  and  method. 

However,  certain  fundamentals  must  be  accepted.  In¬ 
spiration  and  revelation  are  not  identical.  Confusion  and 
interchange  of  these  terms  have  resulted  in  criticism  that  has 
been  unjust,  inane,  and  radical.  Revelation  bestows  and 
authorizes  truth;  the  special  truth  may  be  beyond  the  un¬ 
aided  reason  of  man  to  conceive,  or  a  historical  fact  or  experi¬ 
ence  that  God  raises  to  divine  authority  and  relations.  In¬ 
spiration  guarantees  the  proper  selection  of  materials  for  a 
canon  of  Scriptures  and  provides  for  the  faithful  literary 
record  of  such  selections.  The  union  of  revelation  and 
inspiration  assures  the  Scriptures  as  the  Word  of  God. 

Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  show  that  the  Hebrew 
prophets  were  only  moved  by  the  same  poetical  impulse 
that  flowered  also  in  Shakespeare,  Dante,  Homer,  Milton, 
and  other  immortals  gifted  writh  vision  and  rhythm.  The 
claim  is  put  forward  for  equality  of  method  and  degree  for 
all  these.  Lovers  of  poetry  have  even  claimed  for  favorite 
writers  more  inspiration  than  for  Proverbs  or  Esther. 

One  needs  to  remember  the  distinction  between  revelation 
and  inspiration.  The  psychology  of  men  is  yet  in  primer 
days,  nor  is  it  yet  known  fully  how  one  mind  influences 
another.  The  psychology  of  divine  influence  has  not  yet 
yielded  more  than  interesting  problems  and  difficulties,  the 
laws  awaiting  the  future  for  statement.  Dogmatism  in  this 
study  of  inspiration  has  been  quite  easy  but  wholly  out  of 
place.  It  may  possibly  be  true  that  every  noble  and  beauti¬ 
ful  thought  has  the  immediate  direction  of  God  for  the  indi¬ 
vidual  appropriation  and  statement,  but  it  will  be  a  far  day 
before  the  sin-burdened  soul  will  turn  to  the  shelf  of  the 


HIS  USE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


85 


poets  in  preference  to  the  Bible.  The  poets’  comer  will  do 
for  the  moments  of  ease  and  enjoyment,  but  when  men  are 
in  the  throes  of  sin  or  trouble  they  look  beyond  poesy.  No 
poet  has  yet  added  his  volume  to  the  sacred  canon. 

But  the  Hebrew  prophets  claimed  for  their  messages  both 
in  initiative  and  imperative  a  “thus  saith  Jehovah.”  The 
consciousness  that  Jehovah  was  speaking  through  him  in 
oral  and  written  address  gave  to  the  prophet  more  than 
ordinary  dignity  and  value.  His  was  the  Word  of  God. 
This  presence  of  Jehovah  in  the  message  made  it  accurate, 
directive  for  conduct,  and  inspirational,  whether  the  method 
were  the  gifted  minstrelsy  of  psalmists,  the  prophetic  call 
to  national  and  personal  righteousness,  the  confession  of  the 
penitent,  or  legislation  for  the  elect  nation.  God  behind 
the  thought  gave  it  value  as  his  Word.  The  books  of  the 
Old  Testament  are  far  removed  from  books  of  human  author¬ 
ship.  Whether  in  degree  or  in  kind,  their  inspiration  lifts 
them  into  the  clouds  whither  others  may  not  follow. 

Jesus  accepted  and  used  the  Old  Testament  upon  the 
belief  in  its  real  inspiration.  Scholars  are  generally  agreed 
that  Jesus  had  this  attitude.  The  extreme  radical  declares 
that  Jesus  simply  shared  the  delusion  of  his  times,  the  people 
being  mistaken  in  their  ideas  of  inspiration.  The  conserva¬ 
tive  critic  maintains  that  Jesus  was  not  in  error  in  this  belief 
and  that  he  was  competent  to  pass  upon  the  belief  whether 
these  books  had  abiding  value  for  religion. 

Should  the  position  of  Jesus  become  the  norm  for  the 
present  attitude  toward  the  Scriptures  ?  Again  the  answers 
group  in  opposing  sides.  One  man  disregards  the  course  of 
Jesus,  thinking  that  no  personal  obligation  comes  to  him  for 
similarity  of  attitude.  Another  will  accept  the  attitude  of 
Jesus  as  final  for  Christian  thought,  believing  that  Jesus’ 
use  of  the  authorship,  interpretation,  and  inspiration  of  the 


86 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Old  Testament  was  true.  The  sanity  of  the  Preacher  com¬ 
pares  favorably  with  that  of  the  dissectors  of  verses. 

4.  A  FACTOR  IN  SPIRITUAL  LIFE.— It  would  be  diffi¬ 
cult  to  overestimate  the  formative  force  of  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  in  the  spiritual  life  of  Jesus. 

Hawthorne  tells  of  the  tradition  in  a  little  village  that 
some  day  there  would  come  a  man  to  fulfil  the  likeness  to 
the  Great  Stone  Face  upon  the  near-by  mountain.  Claim¬ 
ants  for  the  honor  came  and  were  received  only  to  prove 
themselves  failures.  A  lad  in  the  village  had  kept  daily 
communings  with  the  Face,  and  after  many  years  was  ac¬ 
knowledged  the  rightful  likeness.  Through  the  years  he  had 
unconsciously  been  transformed  by  his  ideal. 

Jesus  kept  company  with  the  Hebrew  heroes  of  old.  As 
he  grew  in  favor  with  God  and  men,  his  thoughts  turned 
more  and  more  toward  the  national  hero  of  the  future,  the 
Messiah,  his  ideals  were  fashioned  according  to  the  best 
Hebrew  models,  and  his  heart  sang  the  songs  of  the  sweet 
singers  of  his  people.  His  unconscious  use  of  the  phraseology 
of  the  Old  Testament  during  his  ministry  shows  the  depth 
and  spirit  with  which  he  read  his  Bible.  He  was  steeped  in 
its  language.  His  spiritual  biography  would  be  inexplicable 
without  this  sacred  book,  and  we  can  only  glimpse  the  high 
peaks  in  his  inner  life.  How  often  he  must  have  compared 
his  own  experiences  with  the  prophetic  delineations  of  what 
the  Messiah  would  do  and  be! 

II.  Jesus  the  Interpreter  of  the  Old  Testament 

1.  HIS  ATTITUDE  TOWARD  CURRENT  METHODS. 

— Traditionalism  had  grasped  the  current  scholarship  in 
matters  of  interpretation.  Previous  to  the  times  of  Jesus 
various  prominent  teachers  had  been  able  to  attract  to  them¬ 
selves  such  influence  and  following  as  to  form  real  schools  of 


HIS  USE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


87 


interpretation,  which  differed  among  themselves  as  to  results 
but  agreed  in  producing  a  traditional  standard.  The  voice 
of  the  prophet  had  not  been  heard  for  four  centuries,  the 
Scriptures  were  in  the  ancient  Hebrew,  while  the  people 
spoke  Aramaic  and  Greek;  the  need  for  official  interpreters 
was  evident. 

These  men,  who  arose  gradually  to  prominence,  were 
called  teachers,  scribes,  doctors,  and  rabbis.  Individual 
investigation  was  neither  desired  nor  expected.  The  method 
consisted  in  conning  the  opinions  of  dead  scholars.  Age 
brought  special  honor  to  an  interpretation.  Originality  and 
freshness  were  unknown.  This  regard  for  the  past  exalted 
the  rabbinical  material  into  the  place  that  rightly  belonged  to 
the  sacred  text,  for  in  cases  of  variation  or  doubt  the  text 
was  displaced  by  the  explanation.  To  traditionalism  was 
joined  literalism.  The  letter  of  the  Word  was  more  im¬ 
portant  than  the  spirit.  Therefrom  developed  an  undue 
regard  for  the  externals  and  ceremonials  of  religion,  which 
had  the  form  but  not  the  power  of  goodness. 

The  method  of  Jesus  was  radically  different.  He  departed 
from  traditionalism  and  externalism.  He  was  original  and 
spiritual  in  his  methods.  So  pronounced  was  this  new  method 
that  the  people  declared  that  he  taught  as  one  with  authority 
and  not  as  their  scribes.  The  opinions  of  dead  rabbis  did 
not  interest  him,  for  he  had  a  fresh,  original,  and  direct 
vision  into  the  Word.  He  felt  no  restraint  in  his  use  of  the 
Scriptures  nor  did  he  feel  impressed  to  call  to  his  support  the 
current  effete  interpretations.  He  dared  to  suggest  that  he 
had  the  right  to  think  for  himself  upon  the  meaning  of  the 
revelation  of  his  Father.  He  undertook  to  reform  the  current 
idea  of  truth  as  based  upon  the  Scriptures. 

2.  ITS  GENERAL  IDEAS. — Jesus  interpreted  the  general 
ideas  of  the  Old  Testament  in  a  spiritual  and  anticipative 


88 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


method  of  revelation.  He  considered  that  the  spiritual  atti¬ 
tude  should  give  value  to  the  ceremonial  part  of  religion. 
This  new  idea  startled  his  critics.  They  were  accustomed  to 
the  almost  infinite  details  of  the  legal  side  of  religion,  but 
Jesus  summarized  the  law  under  his  double  command  to  love 
God  and  men.  In  his  view  the  ancient  system  of  sacrifice 
was  to  typify  the  death  of  the  Lamb  of  God.  History  had 
been  preparatory  to  the  incarnation.  The  chosen  people 
were  to  make  ready  for  that  larger  Israel  which  should  know 
no  race  limits,  being  outlined  by  fellowship  with  Jesus  him¬ 
self. 

3.  ITS  SPECIAL  PASSAGES. — A  few  examples  of  Jesus’ 
new  interpretations  may  be  cited  from  the  long  list.  His 
authority  and  originality  in  interpretations  will  thus  appear. 
He  extends  the  prohibition  of  murder,  translating  the  guilt 
from  the  act  into  the  spirit,  intense  hatred  without  cause  being 
murder.1  He  exalts  and  spiritualizes  the  law  of  purity, 
the  lustful  desire  becoming  as  blameworthy  as  the  act  of 
adultery.2  The  law  of  retaliation  is  changed  into  the  law  of 
non-resistance.3 

III.  Jesus  the  Preacher  of  the  Old  Testament 

1.  NOT  EXPOSITORY. — Jesus  was  not  an  expository 
preacher.  Popular  thought  so  classes  him,  but  incorrectly 
so.  He  was  a  Scriptural  preacher  in  the  sense  that  he  often 
referred  to  the  Scriptures,  but  he  did  not  give  extended 
exegesis  of  the  Old  Testament.  He  often  preached  in  the 
synagogues,  and  may  have  often  read  the  selected  passage 
for  the  day’s  worship,  though  there  is  but  one  record  of  his 
reading  thus.4  He  rarely  quoted  a  long  verse,  while  his  use 
was  more  textual  and  incidental  than  exegetical. 

iMt.  5:21,  22.  2  Mt.  5:27,  28. 

3  Mt.  5:38^2.  *Lk.  4:16. 


HIS  USE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


89 


2.  HIS  METHOD  OF  QUOTATION.— The  list  of  Jesus’ 
quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  will  vary  with  schol¬ 
ars  according  to  length,  directness,  and  simplicity  of  the 
quotations.  We  prefer  the  list  in  the  Appendix,1  which  cites 
thirty-four  passages  in  the  Gospels,  parallels  counting  as  one. 
Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  the  religious  leaders  to  attract 
the  people’s  attention  to  the  rabbinical  opinions,  there  was  a 
deep  hungering  for  the  Word  itself.  Jesus  invited  the  people 
back  to  the  sources.  The  sacredness  of  the  Book  was  to  be 
recognized.  The  people  were  eager  for  this  fresh  touch  with 
the  Scriptures.  Jesus  respected  his  position  as  interpreter 
of  the  Word  and  gave  notice  to  the  audience  that  he  was 
making  a  direct  quotation.  In  all  but  five  examples  of  direct 
quotations  he  used  some  sign  of  quotation — “it  is  written” 
(ten  times),  “it  is  said”  (eleven),  “have  read”  (five),  “reads” 
(one),  “fulfilled”  (one). 

His  method  of  quoting  was  fragmentary  and  composite. 
He  did  not  quote  long  passages.  He  made  sword  thrusts  with 
pointed  verses.  He  often  combined  original  passages  into  one 
statement.  His  homiletical  purpose  did  not  require  citation 
of  the  complete  thought  of  the  writer.  He  chose  his  passages 
for  wisdom  in  application  rather  than  for  literary  ends. 

The  intention  to  make  a  direct  quotation  on  Jesus’  part 
has  been  the  principle  of  selection  in  our  list  of  passages. 
Mere  similarity  or  even  sameness  in  words,  where  there 
seemed  not  to  be  any  design  of  quoting,  would  not  justify 
naming  a  passage  as  a  quotation.  Our  list  of  forty-six  original 
texts  has  been  chosen  upon  this  theory.  In  this  list  twelve 
examples  agree  with  both  the  current  Hebrew  and  the  Greek 
texts;  three  follow  the  Hebrew  and  five  the  Greek;  the  others 
vary  more  or  less  both  from  the  Hebrew  and  the  Greek. 

Jesus  turned  with  special  delight  to  certain  favorites  for 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  II,  1. 


90 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


his  quotations.  Deuteronomy  contained  the  Law,  which  was 
fundamental  to  the  life  and  religion  of  his  own  people;  Jesus 
gave  the  spiritual  significance  and  fulfilment  to  this  Law, 
his  references  to  the  book  being  natural.  His  favorite 
prophecy  was  Isaiah,  which  gave  the  clearest  appreciation 
of  the  future  Messiah,  his  humiliation,  sufferings,  and  glory 
having  definite  portrayal.  The  evangelical  prophet  was  a 
kindred  spirit  to  Jesus.  Jesus  turned  to  the  Psalms  for  the 
reflection  of  his  own  experiences;  these  inspired  outbursts  of 
poetry  had  served  as  the  national  hymnal  and  Jesus  had  early 
learned  their  spiritual  dynamics.  It  is  not  strange  that  the 
Fourth  Gospel  should  have  limited  its  quotations  in  the 
words  of  Jesus  to  those  from  Isaiah  and  the  Psalms. 

The  list  and  frequency  of  quotations  from  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  books  may  be  given  thus :  Genesis,  two ;  Exodus,  seven ; 
Leviticus,  four;  Numbers,  one;  Deuteronomy,  fourteen; 
Psalms,  seven;  Isaiah,  six;  Jeremiah,  one;  Plosea,  two; 
Zechariah,  one;  Malachi,  one.  The  three  chief  divisions  of 
the  Scriptures,  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  Writings,  wTere 
all  represented  in  these  quotations. 

Jesus  referred  to  historical  events,  laws,  and  customs  of 
the  Old  Testament  without  intending  to  quote  them.1  Here 
may  be  noticed  his  mention  of  the  brazen  serpent,  Elijah  and 
the  widow  of  Zarephath,  Elijah  and  Naaman,  the  law  for 
cleansed  lepers,  David  and  the  showbread,  the  priests  guilt¬ 
less  of  profaning  the  Temple,  Sodom  destroyed,  Jonah  and 
the  fish,  Nineveh’s  repentance  under  Jonah,  the  visit  of  the 
queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon,  the  blood  of  Abel,  the  blood  of 
Zachariah,  Lot’s  wife,  Moses  and  the  burning  bush,  Noah 
and  the  Deluge.  These  references  number  twenty-three,  of 
which  five  are  repeated ;  they  were  used  by  Jesus  in  discourses 
and  fragmentary  sayings  on  thirteen  occasions. 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  II,  2. 


HIS  USE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 


91 


The  words  of  Jesus  were  filled  with  the  spirit  and  the 
phraseology  of  the  Old  Testament  even  in  cases  without  direct 
quotations.  The  list  of  such  echoes  and  similarities  could  be 
almost  indefinitely  enlarged. 

3.  HONOR  FOR  HIS  BIBLE. — Great  reverence  for  his 
Bible  was  always  shown  by  Jesus.  He  did  not  excuse  the 
sins  of  his  people,  whose  historic  deeds  wTere  recorded  here, 
and  yet  he  could  recognize  the  hand  of  God  in  the  national 
history  and  organizations.  The  prophets  had  come  to  correct 
the  errors  of  the  people.  Jesus  believed  in  their  divine  calling 
and  service,  for  God  was  speaking  through  them  to  prepare 
the  nation  for  their  Messiah.  He  did  not  undervalue  the 
office  of  the  prophet  nor  did  he  question  the  real  authority  of 
the  Old  Testament  for  the  times.  He  believed  that  Israel 
would  have  accomplished  its  mission  if  it  had  followed  the 
guidance  of  its  true  leaders.  To  Jesus  the  Old  Testament 
was  God’s  truth  expressed  for  men  of  those  times. 

4.  POLEMICAL  USE. — The  Old  Testament  served  the 
polemical  purposes  of  Jesus.  He  met  the  charge  of  disregard 
for  the  traditions  with  the  story  of  David  and  the  bread  used 
only  by  the  priests.  The  current  piety  of  formalism  he  re¬ 
buked  with  the  real  spiritual  message  of  the  Book.  The 
leaders  had  covered  up  the  truth.  He  quoted  the  Scriptures 
in  his  initial  temptations  by  Satan. 

5.  THE  EQUALITY  OF  HIS  WORDS.— Jesus  claimed 
for  his  own  words  an  equality  in  authority  with  the  Old 
Testament.  He  believed  in  the  divine  origin  of  the  Book, 
and  yet  dared  to  put  his  own  words  upon  the  same  basis  as 
claiming  the  right  to  direct  faith  and  conduct.  In  his  own 
message  God  was  speaking  as  he  had  done  through  older 
prophets.  His  consciousness  of  this  fact  compelled  his 
ministry  to  sound  the  fearless  note  of  authority.  To  such 
claims  for  recognition  as  the  voice  of  God  he  added  the  testi- 


92 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


mony  of  miracles  and  of  a  holy  life.  The  canon  of  the 
Scriptures  had  been  closed  for  so  long  a  time  that  the  people 
did  not  readily  desire  additions. 

6.  ITS  PERMANENT  VALUE.— The  Old  Testament  will 
continue  to  hold  permanent  value  for  men  since  Jesus  saw 
its  proper  place  in  the  religious  life  of  his  day.  He  had 
come  to  conserve  all  the  permanent  elements  of  religion  that 
had  found  place  in  the  Old  Testament.  Its  historical  por¬ 
tions  will  continue  to  illustrate  God’s  providential  care  for 
the  world,  its  ethical  laws  will  remain  binding,  its  ceremonials 
will  make  more  glorious  the  simplicity  of  the  sacrifice  once 
for  all  made  by  Christ,  its  poetry  and  psalmody  will  never 
lose  power  to  charm  and  comfort  men.  Jesus  made  the  Old 
Testament  a  source  of  spiritual  power  to  his  own  experience. 
The  ministry  of  other  days  may  well  follow  his  example. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  contributed  the  parable  to  religious  literature.  It 
would  have  remained  an  occasional  example  of  genius  if  he 
had  not  so  largely  adopted  it. 

I.  The  Parables  Classified 

1.  DEFINITION. — The  word  parable  occurs  in  the  Synop¬ 
tic  Gospels  forty-eight  times,  but  it  is  nowhere  in  them  defined. 
Its  meaning  was  taken  for  granted,  since  it  occurred  in  the 
Septuagint,  where  TrapafioXri  usually  translated  the  Hebrew 
bwn.  The  original  idea  of  the  Hebrew  word  is  variously 
suggested  by  scholars.  “To  represent  or  to  stand  for  some¬ 
thing,”  and  “likeness  or  resemblance”  are  the  two  prominent 
ideas  suggested  for  the  root  meaning.  The  Greek  word 
means  “beside”  and  “to  throw  or  cast,”  and  had  its  figu¬ 
rative  significance  of  nearness  for  the  purpose  of  comparison 
for  likeness  or  difference. 

The  word  parable  may  be  defined  descriptively  rather  than 
scientifically.  A  parable  is  a  rhetorical  figure  that  translates 
through  contrast  and  similitude  natural  facts  and  laws  into 
terms  of  the  spiritual  life.  Its  basis  may  lie  in  real  or  ideal¬ 
ized  events  of  history  or  in  the  phenomena  of  nature.  It  has 
family  ties  with  the  metaphor  and  the  simile  but  is  sufficiently 
important  to  deserve  separate  classification.  Scholars  have 
not  agreed  as  to  the  exact  amount  of  the  parabolic  material 
in  the  words  of  Jesus,  the  number  of  individual  parables 

93 


94 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


ranging  from  thirty  to  eighty.  Our  list  includes  thirty-four 
parables  and  nine  prominent  parable  germs.  The  parable 
expresses  a  complete  thought  in  the  form  of  a  comparison  of 
likeness  or  contrast,  and  contains  a  spiritual  lesson  which 
may  or  may  not  at  first  be  apparent. 

2.  INTERPRETATION. — False  methods  of  interpretation 
have  made  the  parables  teach  what  was  not  originally  in¬ 
tended  or  even  logically  inferable.  It  is  a  false  method  to 
spiritualize  each  detail  of  the  parable.  The  correct  method 
regards  the  parable  as  an  illustration  given  to  teach  one 
lesson  or  a  few  central  ones.  The  details  should  be  subordi¬ 
nated  to  this  end.  The  entire  number  of  Jesus’ parables  may 
be  classified  under  a  few  great  topics,  which  each  one  empha¬ 
sizes  in  special  ways.  The  first  process  in  interpretation  of 
an  individual  parable  is  to  discover  its  group  relation;  the 
central  teaching  will  advance  this  theme.  Then  the  special 
purpose  of  the  parable  may  be  discovered,  details  being  so 
regarded.  The  parables  will  uncover  to  the  reverent  student 
a  largeness  of  truth  that  will  satisfy  him  with  their  gran¬ 
deur. 

3.  GROUPS. — There  are  many  schemes  for  grouping  the 
parables  of  Jesus.  We  present  two. 

The  first  scheme  classifies  the  parables  according  to  the 
central  thought.  The  thirty-four  parables  divide  equally  into 
those  whose  central  thought  is  that  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
and  that  of  personal  experience.1  For  Jesus  the  kingdom  of 
God  filled  a  large  place  in  preaching  and  thought.  The  para¬ 
bles  of  the  kingdom  are  placed  by  the  records  first  and  last 
in  Jesus’  ministry.  Five  parables  describe  the  beginnings  2 
of  the  kingdom,  whose  value  should  justify  any  sacrifice,  but 
may  be  disregarded  and  its  benefits  may  pass  to  aliens  to 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  III. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  6,  7,  29,  30,  31. 


HIS  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


95 


Israel.  The  growth  and  principles  1  of  the  kingdom  are  out¬ 
lined  in  five,  of  which  two  are  repeated.  The  remaining 
seven  forecast  the  consummation  2  of  the  kingdom.  The 
parables  of  personal  experience  show  that  the  Preacher  could 
not  forget  the  needs  of  the  single  heart,  even  though  a  kingdom 
filled  his  vision  and  he  should  be  its  King.  These  occupy  the 
middle  part  of  his  ministry.  In  fourteen  of  this  division  Jesus 
sets  forth  the  individual’s  relations  to  God,  and  in  three  3 
the  complementary  duties  to  fellow-men. 

The  second  scheme  for  grouping  considers  the  parables 
in  the  origin  of  illustrations.  Jesus  had  an  accurate  insight 
into  human  life.  He  drew  a  larger  number  of  parables  from 
the  occupation  of  agriculture  than  from  any  other,  ten  being 
here  grouped.4  Jesus  did  not  enjoy  the  blessings  of  his  own 
home-life  during  his  strenuous  ministry,  given  to  the  work  of 
redemption,  yet  he  showed  its  value  by  basing  five  5  parables 
upon  the  household.  A  related  but  larger  idea  is  that  of  the 
social  order  in  which  seven  6  parables  are  founded,  and  the 
general  practices  of  people  afford  basis  for  five.7  Commercial¬ 
ism,  the  specialty  of  the  Jew  and  the  ambition  of  every  race, 
furnishes  setting  for  five.8  In  view  of  the  fact  that  Jesus  spent 
a  large  part  of  his  ministry  around  the  borders  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  and  that  most  of  his  apostolate  w^ere  fishermen,  it 
seems  singular  that  he  should  have  based  only  one  9  of  the 
recorded  parables  upon  fishery.  The  shepherd  life,  so  dear 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  1,  3,  4,  5,  9. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  2,  8,  27,  28,  32,  33,  34. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  10,  15,  16. 

4  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  14,  24,  27,  29,  30,  32. 

5  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  5,  9,  13,  20,  21. 

6  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  10,  11,  22,  23,  31,  33. 

7  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  15,  17,  18,  25,  26. 

8  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  6,  7,  12,  28,  34. 

9  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  No.  8. 


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THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


to  the  heart  of  the  Oriental,  is  represented  by  several  illus¬ 
trations  but  by  only  one  parable.1 

4.  LOCALIZATION. — The  parables  were  localized  vari¬ 
ously  as  to  the  audiences  that  heard  them.  Completeness 
of  statement  is  impossible  here  because  of  the  meagreness  of 
data;  the  disciples  were  probably  present  at  the  delivery  of 
the  parables  of  the  Chief  Seats,  the  Great  Supper,  and  the 
Pounds;  their  presence  is  implied  or  stated  in  company  with 
others  who  heard  the  Good  Samaritan  and  the  Laborers  in 
the  Vineyard.  He  gathered  his  disciples  into  a  close  compan¬ 
ionship  with  the  world  shut  out  and  told  them  of  the  Unmerci¬ 
ful  Servant,  the  Friend  at  Midnight,  the  Unrighteous  Steward, 
the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  the  Unprofitable  Servants,  the 
Fig  Tree  Leafing,  the  Ten  Virgins,  and  the  Ten  Talents. 
The  remaining  twenty-one  parables  had  the  general  public 
for  audiences,  from  which  the  disciples  were  not  barred. 

As  to  time  and  place  the  same  difficulties  attach  to  the 
parables  as  to  the  other  features  of  the  ministry  of  Jesus. 
The  known  and  most  probable  places  for  the  delivery  of  the 
parables  may  be  thus  indicated:  Capernaum  and  the  sea¬ 
shore,  nine;  Judea,  five  and  the  repetition  of  two  others; 
Perea,  eleven;  Samaria,  or  Galilee,  two;  Jericho,  one;  Jeru¬ 
salem,  three;  Mt.  Olivet,  three.  Those  delivered  in  Jerusalem 
— a  small  number  considering  the  history  of  the  city — were 
in  the  Last  Week,  when  the  impending  storm  was  to  burst 
over  the  head  of  Jesus. 

The  first  recorded  parable  was  uttered  at  Capernaum  by 
the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  probably  in  the  early  summer 
of  28  a.  d.  The  period  of  his  ministry  is  the  third,  the  time 
being  about  a  year  and  a  half  after  the  opening  of  his  public 
work.  Previous  to  this  time  there  had  been  uttered  six 
parable  germs.  He  had  performed  ten  miracles  of  healing 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  No.  19. 


HIS  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


97 


and  two  nature  miracles,  while  his  miracle  ministry  had  been 
suggested  in  five  general  references.  It  thus  appears  that 
Jesus  was  a  preacher  of  much  popularity  and  extent  of  service 
before  he  began  the  use  of  parables. 

The  first  parable  was  the  Sower,  given  in  a  group  of  eight, 
half  on  the  seashore  and  half  in  a  near-by  house.  Nineteen 
discourses  contain  all  the  parables.  With  the  exception  of 
nine,  delivered  on  two  occasions,  all  his  parables  were  spoken 
during  the  last  six  months  of  our  Lord’s  ministry,  from  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  to  the  Passover.  The  Ten  Talents  was 
the  last  parable. 

5.  PARABLE  GERMS. — A  briefer  illustration  deserves  the 
name  parable  germ.  The  more  prominent  of  these  may  be 
cited  thus:  the  New  Patch  on  the  Old  Garment,  the  New 
Wine  in  the  Old  Skins,  the  Potter,  the  Waiting  Servants,  the 
Wise  and  Foolish  Builders,  the  Two  Debtors,  the  Children 
at  Play,  the  Blind  Guiding  the  Blind,  the  Evil  Spirits  Return¬ 
ing,  and  the  Goodman  and  the  Thief. 


II.  The  Parables  in  Homiletical  Value 

1.  LITERARY  FORM. — The  parables  were  often  intro¬ 
duced  by  a  formula  or  particle  that  called  attention  to  this 
special  form  of  address.  The  parables  that  use  a 'concrete 
experience  to  teach  a  spiritual  lesson  are  sometimes  called 
similitudes;  of  this  class  the  Fig  Tree  Leafing  is  an  example. 
Other  facts  gain  attention  through  a  concrete  form  rather 
than  an  abstract  statement,  the  Sower  being  a  fair  sample. 
The  parable  differs  from  the  allegory,  which  carries  the  idea 
of  a  detailed  and  hidden  correspondence  between  each  part 
of  the  story  and  intended  truths;  no  clear  case  of  its  use  by 
Jesus  can  be  cited.  The  parable  in  the  narrative  and  story 
form  was  quite  common  with  Jesus. 

The  Gospels  in  their  records  of  the  parables  deserve  notice. 

7 


98 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


John  does  not  give  any  parable,  though  the  illustration  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  is  sometimes  classed  among  the  parables. 
The  parables  of  individual  experience  form  a  series  in  the 
central  part  of  Jesus’  ministry,  and  are  peculiar  to  Luke, 
which  gives  only  three  parables  of  the  kingdom,  the  first 
being  peculiar  to  this  Gospel  and  the  others  repetitions — the 
Pounds,  the  Mustard  Seed,  and  the  Leaven.  The  Synoptics 
all  record  three — the  Sower,  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  and 
the  Fig  Tree  Leafing.  The  Seed  Growing  Secretly  is  peculiar 
to  Mark,  which  gives  only  five  out  of  the  entire  number. 
Matthew  gives  fifteen,  of  which  all  but  four  are  peculiar  to  it. 
The  purpose  of  each  Gospel  determined  the  selection  of  the 
parabolic  material,  Matthew  giving  those  of  the  kingdom  as 
fitting  for  a  Jewish  audience,  and  Luke  those  of  individual 
experience  as  fitting  for  Gentiles. 

2.  GENERAL  DESIGN. — The  parables  formed  a  part  of 
the  discourse  material  of  Jesus’  preaching.  Eighteen  dis¬ 
courses,  or  nineteen,  counting  another  for  the  repetition  of  the 
Mustard  Seed  and  the  Leaven,  contained  all  the  parables; 
these  discourses  are  distributed  chronologically  thus:  two 
with  parables  on  a  single  day  in  the  early  summer  of  28  a.  d., 
one  in  the  late  summer  or  early  autumn  of  29  a.  d.,  and  the 
others  with  the  remaining  twenty-five  parables  during  the  last 
six  months  of  Jesus’  ministry.  The  Passion  Week  contributed 
six  parables  in  two  discourses.  The  Gospels  in  their  present 
form  sometimes  present  the  discourses  as  entirely  composed 
of  the  parables.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  does  not  contain 
any  parable,  though  it  ends  with  the  parable  germ  of  the  Wise 
and  the  Foolish  Builder. 

Other  great  teachers  had  given  slight  attention  to  the  par¬ 
able  as  a  literary  form,  but  it  remained  for  Jesus  to  make  it  a 
specialty.  By  it  he  gathered  up  the  analogies  between  the 
natural  and  the  spiritual  laws  and  experiences.  Another 


HIS  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


99 


reason  for  its  use  was  found  in  the  quick  impression  that  it 
made  upon  the  minds  of  the  audience.  He  held  their  atten¬ 
tion.  His  habit  of  itineraries  gave  him  many  new  audiences, 
and  his  sermons  were  compelled  to  be  insistent  for  attention. 
The  crowds  upon  the  roadside  or  street,  in  the  homes  and 
synagogues,  amid  the  fields  or  upon  the  beach  would  be 
lethargic  and  restless,  therefore  powerful  illustrations  -were 
needed  to  hold  them.  A  third  reason  made  the  parable  the 
medium  for  statements  to  his  disciples,  who  might  gradually 
arrive  at  the  true  meaning  and  purpose  of  the  parable  while 
the  crowds  and  the  critics  would  remain  in  ignorance.  His 
followers  would  be  guided  by  love  in  their  efforts  at  interpre¬ 
tation.  A  fourth  reason  was  to  give  his  truth  a  communica¬ 
tive  form;  men  could  easily  recount  the  parables  when  they 
might  not  have  been  able  to  repeat  learned  discourses  and 
doctrines. 

However,  the  most  prominent  reason  was  the  desire  to 
avert  an  immature  crisis  in  his  ministry.  Jesus  made  his  mes¬ 
sage  in  its  appreciation  dependent  upon  fellowship  with  him¬ 
self.  Two  classes  brought  the  risk  of  a  crisis  to  his  ministry — 
the  ill-informed  enthusiast,  who  would  crown  him  king,  and 
the  bitter  enemy,  who  would  have  caused  his  death.  Jesus 
knew  that  the  lines  of  his  duties  converged  to  the  Cross,  but  he 
would  not  let  the  enthusiasm  of  his  partisans  nor  the  hatred 
of  his  foes  deflect  him  from  his  course  or  hasten  his  plans. 

The  national  hopes  and  misfortunes  had  made  the  idea  of 
the  kingdom  specially  important.  Jesus  shunned  the  forms 
of  speech  that  would  have  endangered  his  cause.  His  sim¬ 
ple  life,  his  unsullied  character,  his  unfailing  sympathy,  and 
his  matchless  teaching  aroused  the  enmity  of  the  religious 
leaders.  By  the  time  of  the  last  six  months  of  his  ministry 
the  opposition  had  become  well  formed  and  strongly  deter¬ 
mined  upon  his  death,  the  suitable  occasion  being  sought. 


100 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  knew  how  significant  was  the  feeling.  He  understood 
the  tenseness  of  the  times.  His  full  ministry  of  the  Father’s 
words  had  not  been  met.  Through  the  parable  he  could 
continue  to  preach  to  the  actual  and  the  prospective  believer, 
while  the  critic  would  be  baffled. 

Jesus  himself  furnished  another  reason,  but  it  does  not 
entirely  displace  the  others.  He  made  the  parable  a  judg¬ 
ment  upon  the  impenitent.  “  Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the 
mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  to  them  it  is  not 
given.  For  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given,  and  he 
shall  have  abundance:  but  whosoever  hath  not,  from  him 
shall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath.  Therefore 
speak  I  to  them  in  parables;  because  seeing  they  see  not,  and 
hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do  they  understand.”  1  This 
is  a  difficult  passage  to  exegete,  but  it  at  least  means  that  the 
confirmed  skeptic  will  increase  his  blindness  through  unbelief, 
while  the  disciple  will  grow  in  knowledge. 

3.  DISCOURSE  PURPOSE. — Supplemental  to  the  gen¬ 
eral  design  of  the  parables  was  the  discourse  purpose. 
Jesus  pierced  the  armor  of  Pharisaism  with  his  sword  of  the 
parable.  His  later  ministry  was  specially  engaged  in  bitter 
and  open  contests  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees.  His 
polemics  made  use  of  the  parables,  five  discourses  2  of  his 
polemics  containing  eleven  parables.  Pretence  of  piety, 
pride  of  public  approval,  arrogance  of  position,  and  contempt 
for  the  sinner  were  arraigned  with  piercing  sarcasm,  fitting 
rebuke,  and  sparkling  illustration.  They  could  not  fail  to 
understand  him  in  his  thrusts,  though  they  did  not  perceive 
his  spiritual  truths.  This  masterful  polemist  could  not  be 
answered,  therefore  the  remaining  method  of  silencing  him 
by  death  was  planned. 

1  Mt.  13:  11-13. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  25,  34,  36,  37,  46. 


HIS  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


101 


Jesus  also  used  the  parables  for  didactic  purposes.  His 
primary  object  of  the  incarnation  was  to  secure  through 
his  own  death  the  redemption  of  the  sinner,  but  in  order  to 
make  this  mission  intelligible  to  men  it  was  essential  that 
Jesus  should  spend  some  time  in  unfolding  his  truths.  Mis¬ 
sion  created  message,  and  message  illustrated  and  enforced 
mission.  The  Saviour  conditioned  the  Preacher,  and  the 
Preacher  prepared  the  world  for  the  Saviour.  His  parables 
unfolded  the  principles  of  the  kingdom  and  the  gospel  of 
individual  experience. 

The  evangelistic  plan  of  the  parables  brought  to  men  the 
personal  appeal  of  one  whose  willingness  to  forget  self  was 
daily  shown  and  whose  interest  in  the  distressed  received 
testimony  from  his  ceaseless  cures  and  favors.  The  invitation 
of  the  parable  of  the  Lost  Son  could  be  accompanied  by  the 
World’s  Rest  Call.1  Jesus  desired  to  reach  men  for  a  personal 
acceptance  of  himself  and  his  benefits.  Abstract  statements 
could  not  win  men,  but  the  parables  could  not  fail  to  make 
plain  to  some  the  way  of  life. 

4.  TRAINING  FORCE. — The  apostolate  received  careful 
training  from  Jesus.  They  should  succeed  to  the  work  of 
making  salvation  personally  realized.  Their  preparation 
might  have  discouraged  a  less  confident  leader.  Gathered 
from  the  fishing-boat  and  the  seat  of  custom,  different  in 
temperament  and  culture,  sharers  of  the  current  worldly 
hopes  of  the  Messiah,  these  apostles  could  be  fitted  for  their 
task  only  through  patience  and  wisdom  on  the  part  of  the 
leader.  They  would  not  be  able  to  grasp  at  once  the  utmost 
limits  of  his  doctrines.  The  parables  helped  them  to  keep  in 
mind  the  words  of  Jesus.  To  them  was  promised  future 
light  and  leadership  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  obedience  should 
qualify  them  for  increased  gifts  of  revelations. 

Hit.  11:28. 


102 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


5.  CIRCUMSTANTIALITY. — The  parables  of  Jesus  were 
neither  mystical  nor  mythical.  They  had  the  stamp  and 
likeness  of  truth.  They  'were  not  copies  but  reproductions  of 
life,  whether  the  basis  be  real  or  idealized  history  or  the  child 
of  imagination.  The  Tvater-mark  of  fact  was  upon  them. 
The  glitter  and  sham  of  fiction  were  absent.  The  reader  of 
these  parables  feels  the  throb  of  real  life.  They  might  all 
easily  be  brought  into  actual  existence.  Confidence  in  Jesus 
is  thereby  created.  He  could  not  be  less  true  to  the  material 
than  to  the  form  of  preaching. 

III.  The  Parables  in  Jesus’  Experience 

1.  PRINCIPLE  OF  SELECTION. — Jesus  made  the  known 
the  guide  to  the  unknown.  This  favorite  formula  of  mod¬ 
ern  science  lay  beneath  the  method  of  Jesus  in  the  selec¬ 
tion  of  parables.  His  imagery  "was  always  within  the  limits 
of  popular  information,  but  his  own  genius  was  required  to 
unite  the  familiar  form  to  the  spiritual  truth.  This  may  be 
called  the  pedagogic  method.  Jesus  was  an  artist  whose 
pictures  were  those  of  words  rather  than  of  canvas  and 
pigments.  His  speech  abounded  in  picture  words.  His 
parables  were  specially  thus  characterized.  This  was  the 
pictorial  principle  of  selection. 

A  third  principle  was  his  method  of  concretion.  He  could 
have  used  abstract  statements,  but  few  among  his  audiences 
would  have  caught  his  message.  The  scholar  may  be  inter¬ 
ested  in  dissertations  in  abstract  terms,  but  the  man  of  the 
office  and  the  woman  of  the  home  need  concretion.  Modern 
science  has  claimed  as  its  own  this  method,  but  Jesus  used  it 
in  his  selection  of  parables.  One  might  readily  see  the  value 
of  the  truth  of  God’s  fatherhood  and  tenderness,  but  its  em¬ 
bodiment  in  the  parable  of  the  Lost  Son  will  bring  it  both  to 
learned  and  unlearned.  The  parable  of  the  Talents  is  more 


HIS  PARABLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


103 


forceful  than  a  discussion  of  the  benefits  and  failures  in  life’s 
opportunities. 

A  final  principle  of  selection  was  the  theological  one.  Jesus 
did  not  write  his  system  of  theology;  he  put  it  into  his  para¬ 
bles.  He  preferred  to  suggest  the  relations  between  God  and 
men,  and  men  with  fellow-men,  by  these  concrete  examples. 
His  theological  principle  was  sure  of  a  hearing. 

2.  TIME  OF  PREPARATION —When  did  Jesus  prepare 
his  parables  ?  Their  spontaneity  and  vividness  suggest 
immediate  preparation,  but  there  are  no  signs  of  haste  or 
immaturity.  The  thirty  years  of  silence  must  have  stored 
his  mind  and  heart  with  the  solutions  of  life’s  problems;  he 
must  often  have  communed  with  the  Father  upon  the  frailties 
of  human  life,  while  his  own  observation  of  the  pas¬ 
sions  shown  in  his  community  life  must  have  evoked  fitting 
illustrations  of  the  method  of  relief  for  the  woes  and 
misfortunes  of  men.  He  would  need  but  the  occasion  and 
the  needs  of  the  audience  to  bring  into  form  his  previous 
thoughts. 

But  the  immediate  form  of  the  parables  was  doubtless  left 
to  the  time  of  delivery.  The  golden  harvest,  the  toiling 
farmer,  the  successful  fishermen,  the  pilgrim  for  worship 
would  bring  the  proper  setting  for  his  terms  of  preaching. 
The  Preacher  was  perfectly  familiar  with  his  message  and 
was  master  of  any  occasion  that  might  arise.  He  did  not 
hesitate  or  wander  in  his  themes.  His  great  mind  had  ar¬ 
ranged  his  materials  for  preaching.  He  left  to  the  moment 
the  selection  of  the  proper  forms. 

3.  ATTITUDE  TOWARD  LIFE.— The  parables  reflected 
Jesus’  attitude  toward  life.  His  was  the  same  world  in 
which  we  live  and  suffer  and  are  tempted.  Men  were  sor¬ 
did  in  their  ambitions,  ignorant  of  religion,  oppressed  by 
social  customs,  and  sinners  under  divine  wrath,  but  they 


104 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


touched  the  heart  of  the  Preacher.  He  did  not  group  men 
into  humanity;  to  him  each  poor  unfortunate  man  and 
woman  appealed  for  his  sympathy  and  help.  His  parables 
indicate  this  love  for  the  individual,  poor,  ignorant,  sinning, 
but  competent  to  be  saved. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  MIRACLES  RELATED  TO  HIS  PREACHING 


The  miracles  have  received  new  emphasis  in  theological 
thought.  It  was  once  the  fashion  in  certain  circles  to  ques¬ 
tion  the  credibility  of  miracles,  but  the  pendulum  is  return¬ 
ing.  The  Gospels  would  be  utterly  destroyed  from  the 
literary  viewpoint  if  the  miraculous  should  be  cut  out  from 
their  records.  The  present  purpose  does  not  call  for  a  dis¬ 
cussion  of  the  possibility  of  miracles.  The  Gospels  profess 
to  give  the  deeds  of  Jesus  that  transcend  human  powers. 
The  Gospel  writers,  the  beneficiaries,  and  the  Preacher  be¬ 
lieved  that  these  deeds  were  miracles.  We  know  no  reason 
that  would  invalidate  their  belief  as  sufficient  testimony  to  us. 
Our  aim  here  is  to  discover  the  relation  of  the  miracles  to  the 
preaching  of  Jesus. 

I.  Related  to  Homiletical  Method 

1.  WORD  STUDY  OF  THE  MIRACLES— The  Gospels 
do  not  profess  to  give  a  complete  list  of  the  miracles  of 
Jesus,  but  rather  the  typical  ones.  The  apostolic  recognition 
of  the  extent  of  his  miracle  ministry  is  thus  given:  ‘‘Many 
other  signs  therefore  did  Jesus  in  the  presence  of  the  dis¬ 
ciples,  which  are  not  written  in  this  book.”1  Our  list  of 
miracles  for  this  homiletical  study  includes  only  those  during 
his  ministry,  not  those  after  the  resurrection. 

Various  classifications  of  the  miracles  have  been  made, 

i  Jn.  20:30. 

105 


106 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


but  we  prefer  the  simple  division  of  miracles  of  healing, 
numbering  twenty-six,  and  nature  miracles,  numbering 
eight,  a  total  of  thirty-four  recorded  miracles.  Nine  passages 
refer  to  the  general  custom  of  Jesus  to  heal  all  sorts  of 
diseases  and  twenty-five  passages  mention  his  general  work¬ 
ing  of  miracles. 

Various  words  enlarge  our  information  from  the  specific 
examples.  Ten  times  dunamis ,  Svvapus,  “power,”  is  used, 
and  means  inherent  or  transferred  power;  semeion ,  arjfielov , 
“sign,”  also  occurs,  being  coupled  once  with  terata ,  repara, 
“wonders”;  the  Gospel  of  John  has  the  plural  erga,  epya, 
“works,”  in  five  passages  with  nine  verses. 

The  entire  record  of  general  mention,  of  specific  examples, 
and  of  descriptive  words  amounts  to  seventy-four  references 
to  the  miracle  ministry  of  Jesus.  The  material  will  justify 
inductions  as  to  his  miracles  related  to  the  preaching. 

2.  NOT  SPECTACULAR. — The  request  for  spectacular 
display  of  his  power  to  work  miracles  was  persistently  re¬ 
fused  by  Jesus.  He  could  not  deflect  this  power  from  the 
plane  of  God’s  natural  outflow  to  that  of  the  showman.  He 
had  an  exalted  homiletical  place  for  them.  Five  times  he 
declined  to  give  a  miracle  upon  the  demand  for  a  sign  from 
heaven  in  proof  of  his  claims.1  To  those  who  criticised  his 
act  of  the  first  cleansing  of  the  Temple  he  replied  with  the 
prophecy  of  the  Temple’s  destruction  and  rebuilding  after 
three  days,  an  illustration  that  even  the  disciples  did  not 
fully  understand  until  after  his  resurrection.  One  day  in  the 
Galilean  ministry  he  had  been  charged  with  being  in  league 
with  Beelzebub,  and  “certain  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees” 
demanded  a  sign;  Jesus  recalled  to  them  the  sign  of  Jonah 
and  the  queen  of  Sheba.  The  crowd  sought  Jesus  and  found 
him  in  the  synagogue  in  Capernaum;  Jesus  assured  them  that 

i  Jn.  2: 13-22;  Mt.  12:  38-45;  Jn.  6:  22-59;  Mt.  16:  1-4||;  Lk.  23:  8-12. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


107 


he  knew  that  they  had  come  only  because  they  had  recently 
been  fed;  their  demand  for  a  sign  was  answered  by  the  dis¬ 
course  upon  spiritual  food. 

It  was  at  another  time  in  Galilee  that  the  Pharisees  com¬ 
bined  with  their  enemies,  the  Sadducees,  to  tempt  Jesus  with 
the  request  for  a  sign;  he  rebuked  them  with  the  suggestion 
that  they  understand  the  sign  of  Jonah  and  those  of  the 
weather.  Even  King  Herod  was  disappointed  in  his  hopes 
that  he  might  induce  Jesus  to  work  some  miracle  for  show. 
He  would  not  satisfy  the  desire  for  amusement  and  the  satis¬ 
faction  of  an  unholy  curiosity.  Faith  could  not  be  evoked 
through  a  miracle  that  might  be  wrought  at  the  carping 
request  of  an  impenitent  critic. 

3.  NOT  TO  CREATE  AN  AUDIENCE.— The  miracles  of 
Jesus  wTere  not  primarily  intended  to  create  audiences  for 
his  preaching.  This  fact  was  accomplished,  since  the  bene¬ 
ficiaries  and  their  friends  would  joyfully  tell  of  the  great 
benefits  received.  Fame  came  incidentally  to  Jesus  through 
his  miracles.  According  to  the  Gospels,  Jesus  only  at  one 
time  gave  direction  that  the  miracle  should  be  widely  re¬ 
counted.  The  restored  Gadarene  demoniac  was  sent  home 
upon  a  commission  of  publicity:  “Return  to  thy  house,  and 
declare  how  great  things  God  hath  done  for  thee.”  1  Jesus 
escaped  from  any  possible  benefit  from  such  publicity  by  his 
immediate  withdrawal  from  that  country.  The  ten  lepers 
were  instructed  to  follow  the  Mosaic  custom  in  securing  the 
sanction  and  the  declaration  of  the  priest. 

The  general  custom  of  Jesus  regarding  instructions  to  the 
beneficiaries  may  be  gathered  from  several  cases.  Five  times 
he  forbade  the  publishing  of  the  news  of  the  miracles,2  the 
woman  with  the  issue  of  blood,  the  blind  man  of  Bethsaida, 

1  Lk.  8:39. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  15,  24,  6,  17,  22 


108 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


the  leper  of  Capernaum,  the  two  blind  men  of  Capernaum, 
the  deaf  and  dumb  man  of  Decapolis,  only  the  first  two  in 
the  list  obeying  him.  Jesus  gave  secondary  place  to  miracles, 
even  in  his  method  of  securing  an  audience.  The  temptation 
thus  to  draw  the  crowds  might  have  been  too  strong  for  one 
less  confident  in  the  power  of  his  truth,  less  consecrated  to 
his  sacrificial  mission,  and  less  acquainted  with  the  vacilla¬ 
tion  of  crowds. 

4.  THEIR  PHYSICAL  ACCOMPANIMENTS. — Three  mir¬ 
acles  of  healing  and  one  nature  miracle  were  performed 
upon  persons  and  objects  not  in  the  immediate  presence  of 
Jesus,1  the  Nobleman’s  Son,  the  Centurion’s  Servant,  the 
Syrophcenician  Daughter,  the  Coin  in  the  Fish’s  Mouth. 
In  the  others  the  persons  and  objects  were  present.  The 
limits  of  space  did  not  hinder  the  power  of  Jesus.  His  con¬ 
fidence  of  success  in  his  direction  for  miracles  was  as  supreme 
in  speaking  at  Cana  for  the  distant  patient  at  Capernaum  as 
when  he  stood  in  the  presence  of  the  paralytic. 

Of  the  twenty-three  miracles  of  healing  in  his  immediate 
presence  eleven  2  had  no  other  physical  accompaniment  than 
the  words  of  Jesus;  nine  3  had  actual  contact  or  touch  be¬ 
tween  Jesus  and  the  patient;  once  4  he  anointed  the  blind 
eyes  with  saliva  and  dirt,  and  twice  5  he  used  the  saliva  upon 
the  blind  man  and  the  deaf  and  dumb  man.  In  all  of  these 
physical  accompaniments  there  did  not  exist  any  medical 
agency;  he  could  have  healed  without  them.  Clay,  saliva,  or 
a  touch  could  not  increase  or  retard  the  dynamics  of  Jesus. 

5.  MIRACLE  PROCESSES. — The  ordinary  method  of 
Jesus  omitted  from  miracles  the  processes  of  time  and  con- 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  2,  10,  21,  26. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  4,  7,  8,  9,  12,  14,  17,  18,  25,  30,  31. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  5,  6,  11,  15,  16,  28,  29,  32,  34. 

4  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  No.  24. 

5  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  22,  27. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


109 


valescenee.  Exceptions  accent  his  custom,  as  in  the  cases  of 
four  miracles  of  healing  and  the  one  nature  miracle  of  Curs¬ 
ing  the  Fig  Tree.1  At  least  a  short  period  of  convalescence 
may  be  recognized  in  the  case  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  since 
his  direction  for  nourishment  would  indicate  a  weakened 
body;  his  ability  to  pass  over  this  period  is  by  no  means  here 
questioned,  his  real  procedure  being  under  notice.  The 
blind  man  of  Bethsaida  was  led  to  the  outskirts  of  the  village; 
Jesus  put  saliva  upon  the  darkened  eyes  and  placed  his 
hands  on  him  ;  the  people  seemed  to  the  man  as  trees  walking; 
again  Jesus  placed  his  hands  on  the  eyes,  and  sight  was  fully 
restored.  Having  anointed  the  eyes  with  saliva  and  dirt, 
Jesus  sent  the  blind  man  to  bathe  in  the  Pool  of  Siloam; 
sight  came  with  the  bath.  The  ten  lepers  discovered  their 
recovery  while  on  the  way  to  the  priest.  The  blight  of  his 
words  was  not  observed  on  the  fig  tree  until  the  disciples 
took  the  same  road  the  following  day.  The  versatility  and 
adaptability  of  Jesus  thus  appear.  Jesus  preferred  to  give 
these  processes  to  his  miracles;  he  could  just  as  easily  have 
dispensed  with  them. 

6.  SCOPE  OF  THE  MIRACLES.— The  miracles  of  Jesus 
had  a  wide  scope,  when  viewed  homiletically.  The  indefi¬ 
nite  mention  of  all  sorts  of  diseases  may  be  taken  with  the 

specific  examples,  the  result  being  an  immense  miracle  min¬ 
istry. 

The  particular  miracles  may  be  grouped  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  ailments:2  (1)  physical  disorders — blindness, 
four;  leprosy,  two;  fever,  two;  lameness,  one;  deafness  and 
dumbness,  one;  dropsy,  one;  issue  of  blood,  one;  wound,  one; 
(2)  nervous  disorders — demoniacal  possession,  six;  paralysis, 
three ;  spirit  of  infirmity,  one ;  (3)  death,  three. 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  16,  24,  27,  31,  33. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  IV 


110 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


The  nature  miracles  show  the  realm  affected:  (1)  the 
organic  world — draught  of  fishes,  multiplying  loaves  and 
fishes  twice,  water  turned  to  wine,  cursing  the  fig  tree; 
(2)  inorganic  world — walking  upon  the  wTater,  stilling  the 
tempest.  Many  classes  of  people  entered  into  his  beneficence, 
the  beggar  and  the  heathen  sharing  the  benefits  with  the  rich 
and  the  sons  of  the  kingdom.  All  sections  of  Palestine  re¬ 
ceived  the  blessings  of  his  miracles;  “  his  own  country  ”  might 
have  received  a  larger  share  if  its  people  had  not  hindered  by 
their  unbelief. 

7.  JESUS’  SECRET. — The  secret  of  Jesus  in  his  power 
to  work  miracles  was  his  absolute  dependence  upon  God’s 
omnipotence.  His  reliance  upon  the  Spirit  of  God  was 
without  flaw  or  wavering.  Occasionally  he  prefaced  his 
miracle  with  prayer,  in  order  specially  to  convince  the  be¬ 
holders  that  he  was  in  constant  and  immediate  touch  with 
God. 

The  method  of  Jesus  in  communicating  the  power  for  heal¬ 
ing  to  the  patient  and  the  power  to  nature  must  yet  remain 
unknown  to  men.  Scholars  have  sought  and  have  seemed  to 
find  similitudes  between  the  cures  of  Jesus  and  those  accom¬ 
plished  by  the  modern  practice  of  psycho-therapeutics.  But 
Jesus  was  infinitely  more  than  a  hypnotist  or  agent  of  sug¬ 
gestion  for  healing.  He  was  the  direct  channel  of  omnipo¬ 
tence. 

The  studv  of  the  mutual  interaction  of  the  mind  and  body 

%!  V 

in  physical  disorders  and  their  relief  has  not  yet  led  to  definite 
results  except  in  very  simple  ways,  but,  whatever  may  be 
the  future  discoveries  in  this  field,  the  fact  will  abide  that 
the  greatness  of  Jesus  will  not  be  dimmed.  His  secret  was 
not  disclosed  to  his  disciples,  even  though  a  certain  authority 
to  work  miracles  was  granted  them.  He  knew  not  only  the 
when  of  miracles  but  also  the  why  and  the  how. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


111 


II.  Related  to  Homiletical  Purpose 

1.  RESPONSE  TO  NEED. — The  cry  of  personal  need 
brought  forth  Jesus’  power  for  miracles.  His  attitude 
toward  the  selfish,  bigoted  Pharisee  was  far  removed  from 
his  tenderness  toward  the  poor  and  suffering.  The  Gospels 
present  his  unfailing  readiness  to  help  the  afflicted,  no  record 
being  given  of  his  failure  to  respond  to  real  need.  His  reluc¬ 
tance  to  grant  the  request  of  the  Syrophoenician  mother  was 
in  order  to  elicit  her  expression  of  great  faith.  A  captious 
censure  from  a  critic  led  him  to  justify  his  fellowship  with 
the  publicans  and  sinners  with  the  illustration  of  the  physi¬ 
cian  and  his  company.  Jesus  was  often  wearied  from  much 
preaching  and  teaching  and  from  the  long  journeys,  but  he 
was  never  too  tired  to  heal  the  sick  and  to  cast  out  demons. 
His  hours  of  retirement  for  rest  were  often  broken  by  the 
crowds,  but  there  was  no  rebuke  for  the  intrusion  nor  fretful 
words.  While  he  refused  to  parade  his  powers  of  miracles,  he 
never  turned  aside  from  the  call  of  need. 

2.  GRACIOUS  ALTRUISM.- — A  gracious  altruism  graced 
the  homiletical  purpose  of  his  miracles.  Jesus  did  not 
profit  by  his  own  miracles.  Three  partial  exceptions  to 
this  rule  may  be  noted.  He  shared  the  Temple-tax  paid  by 
the  stater  from  the  fish’s  mouth,  and  wTas  strengthened  and 
refreshed  by  the  two  cases  of  feeding  the  multitudes.  He 
waited,  weary  and  hungry,  by  the  well  of  Jacob  while  his 
disciples  went  into  the  village  to  buy  food;  his  creative  power 
could  give  a  superfluity  to  the  thousands,  but  he  would  not 
exert  it  needlessly  in  his  own  behalf.  His  healing  grace  was 
always  at  the  bestowal  of  the  stranger  in  need,  but  he  wrnuld 
not  therefrom  prevent  his  own  exhaustion  in  service.  Con¬ 
scious  that  the  hosts  of  heaven  would  gladly  become  mar¬ 
shalled  legions  under  his  command,  he  permitted  himself  to 
be  led  away  as  a  captive  of  Roman  soldiers. 


112 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  lived  for  the  benefit  of  others.  In  his  cures  only 
two  persons,  who  were  specially  loved  by  those  whom  Jesus 
loved,  were  the  participants;  Lazarus,  dear  friend  and  the 
brother  of  friends,  was  called  from  the  tomb,  and  the  mother 
of  the  wife  of  the  impulsive  Peter  was  cured  of  fever.  Five 
out  of  the  eight  nature  miracles  brought  special  and  intended 
results  to  Jesus’  disciples. 

Miracles  illustrated  the  mission  of  the  Son  of  man.  His 
was  to  be  the  life  of  service.  Comfort,  personal  privations, 
hatred  of  enemies,  and  lack  of  appreciation  by  kindred  did 
not  deflect  him  from  his  purpose  to  benefit  men  by  his  gra¬ 
cious  altruism.  The  burdens  of  the  world  lay  upon  his 
heart.  Viewed  as  expressions  of  altruism,  the  miracles 
become  more  than  exhibitions  of  marvellous  power.  They 
should  be  regarded  as  the  outflowings  of  the  divine  goodness 
and  compassion,  the  personality  of  the  Son  serving  as  the 
proper  channel  to  men.  From  arguments  for  his  divinity 
they  enlarge  their  credential  value  into  spiritual  illustrations 
of  the  natural  method  of  service  by  the  unique  Son  of  God 
and  Son  of  man.  He  did  not  greatly  stress  the  proof 
from  miracles;  to  him  they  were  symbols  of  divine  compas¬ 
sion. 

3.  EVIDENTIAL  VALUE. — A  secondary  but  real  place 
was  assigned  to  miracles  by  Jesus.  He  wished  that  men 
might  look  beyond  the  act  to  the  actor,  beyond  the  deed  cf 
wTonder  to  the  character  of  the  worker;  the  spiritual  idea 
should  be  the  chief  concern.  Five  times  he  turned  aside 
from  the  demand  that  he  perform  some  miracle  as  a  heavenly 
sign  to  attest  his  authority  and  mission.  Such  hardness  of 
heart  upon  the  part  of  the  Jews  was  culpable.  “  An  evil  and 
an  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign.”  1  “Except 
ye  see  signs  and  wonders,  ye  will  in  no  wise  believe.”  2  The 
iMt.  12:39.  2Jn.  4:48. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


113 


Pharisees  would  not  have  believed  the  testimony  of  a  special 
miracle  in  response  to  their  demand. 

A  secondarv  value  attaches  to  miracles  as  credentials, 

V 

Some  people  were  brought  to  belief  and  others  were  strength¬ 
ened  by  them.  After  the  first  miracle  at  Cana  ‘'his  disciples 
believed  on  him.”  1  ‘'  Now  when  he  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the 
Passover,  during  the  feast,  many  believed  on  his  name,  be¬ 
holding  his  signs  which  he  did.”  2  Related  to,  and  accom¬ 
panied  by,  his  personal  grace,  the  miracles  convinced  people 
that  Jesus  was  true  in  his  supreme  claims  for  himself. 

His  personal  contact  helped  in  the  interpretation  of  his 
works.  When  the  Pharisees  murmured  that  Jesus  should 
declare  to  the  paralytic  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  he  proved  to 
them  his  right  by  his  power:  “But  that  ye  may  know  that 
the  Son  of  man  hath  authority  on  earth  to  forgive  sins  (he 
saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy),  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise,  and 
take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  unto  thy  house.”  3  The  man  obeyed. 
The  miracles,  however,  were  not  always  followed  by  examples 
of  belief:  “But  though  he  had  done  so  many  signs  before 
them,  vet  thev  believed  not  on  him.”  4 

4.  SUPREME  PERSONAL  APPEAL. — The  credential 
of  personality  was  greater  than  that  of  miracles.  Jesus 
placed  primary  value  upon  the  personal  basis.  This  view 
is  more  agreeable  to  the  modern  temperament  than  appeal 
to  the  miracles  as  formal  evidences  of  his  divinity.  Rever- 
sion  of  the  process  has  come.  Belief  in  Jesus  conditions 
belief  in  his  miracles.  Personality  is  more  persuasive  than 
power.  The  spiritual  consciousness  of  contact  with  Jesus 
prepares  the  way  for  the  mental  appreciation  of  his  marvel¬ 
lous  deeds.  Obedient  to  the  will  of  Jesus  as  Lord,  impelled 
into  humble  service  for  men,  the  loving  heart  will  not  stumble 


8 


1  Jn.  2:  11.  • 

3 Mk.  2:  10,  11. 


2  Jn.  2:  23. 

4  Jn.  12:  37. 


114 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


over  the  credential  value  of  miracles,  even  though  all  intel¬ 
lectual  difficulties  may  not  be  resolved.  The  vision  of  Jesus 
as  Lord  and  Master,  crowned  so  through  sacrificial  love  and 
service,  will  not  be  hopelessly  clouded  by  intellectual  doubts 
as  to  miracles.  Jesus  the  Man  of  Galilee  comes  nearer  than 
the  Man  of  Miracles,  if  there  should  be  doubts. 

In  his  message  to  the  imprisoned  Forerunner  Jesus  used 
the  ascending  climax  in  describing  the  work  of  himself  as 
Messiah:  “The  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the  lame  walk, 
the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  and  the  dead 
are  raised  up,  and  the  poor  have  good  tidings  preached  to 
them.”  1 

The  news  of  Jesus’  ministry  to  the  poor  and  needy  would 
assure  John  the  Baptist  that  his  short  service  as  herald  had 
not  been  in  vain.  At  the  Feast  of  Dedication  Jesus  declared, 
“If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not.  But 
if  I  do  them,  though  ye  believe  not  me,  believe  the  works:  that 
ye  may  know  and  understand  that  the  Father  is  in  me  and  I 
in  the  Father.”  2  His  contemporaries  should  have  accepted 
his  divinity  without  the  need  for  the  credential  value  of 
miracles.  They  should  have  credited  his  personality. 

This  emphasis  in  modern  thought  has  given  to  the  method 
of  Jesus  the  force  of  a  new  apologetic.  The  initial  point  of 
contact  now  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ’s  divinity  is  found  in 
his  personality  rather  than  in  his  works.  The  transit  of 
thought  from  power  to  love,  from  miracle  to  divinity,  may  be 
difficult,  but  the  reverse  process  is  easy.  Power  may  be 
transient  and  evil,  love  is  eternal  and  good;  miracles  are 
external  and  admit  of  doubt,  love  is  spiritual  and  incontesta¬ 
ble.  Jesus  himself  remains  his  best  witness. 

5.  RELATION  TO  SIN  AND  SUFFERING.— Sin  is  the 
generic  cause  of  suffering.  Each  particular  case  of  suffer- 
iMt.  11:5.  2  Jn.  10:37,  S8. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


115 


ing  may  not  be  referred  to  definite  and  known  sins.  A  race 
of  sinners  would  inherit  frailties  that  bring  pains.  Jesus 
did  not  share  the  current  belief  that  each  particular  example 
of  suffering  and  disease  could  be  traced  to  immediate  causes 
of  sin  in  the  life  of  the  sufferer  or  his  parents.  In  the  case 
of  the  blind  man  the  disciples  questioned  Jesus  as  to  the 
cause.  He  affirmed  that  special  sin  in  neither  had  been  the 
cause  of  the  blindness.  Certain  modern  advocates  of  this 
error  would  see  even  in  the  suffering  saint  a  lack  of  faith  and 
sanctity.  Many  choice  spirits  have  dwelt  in  afflicted  bodies. 
And  yet  Jesus  knew  that  certain  sins  would  have  their  effects 
upon  the  body.  The  sinner  often  reaps  his  harvest  of  tears 
and  pains.  To  the  restored  lame  man  of  Bethesda  he  said, 
“Behold,  thou  art  made  whole:  sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse 
thing  befall  thee.”  1  There  is  here  possibly  the  implication 
that  a  previous  sin  had  caused  the  disease;  the  warning  would 
serve  for  the  future. 

III.  Related  to  Homiletical  Material 

1.  FRAGMENTARY  SAYINGS. — The  fragmentary  say¬ 
ings,  connected  with  the  miracles  more  closely  than  simple 
directions  for  the  miracles,  present  valuable  discourse  mate¬ 
rial.  The  method  is  fragmentarv.  In  certain  cases  few 
words  are  spoken,  since  the  writers  did  not  intend  to  give  a 
complete  record  of  all  Jesus’  words.  The  method  is  interrog¬ 
atory.  In  six  out  of  the  nine  examples  Jesus  asked  a  ques¬ 
tion,  sometimes  expecting  an  answer  but  usually  for  rhetorical 
purposes.  The  method  is  conversational.  In  these  sayings 
Jesus  addressed  individuals  six  times,  two  cases  being  the 
beneficiaries,  three  times  the  crowd,  twice  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  and  once  the  disciples.  In  three  cases  he  spoke 
to  individuals  and  the  audience  respectively.  Once  he  was 

1  Jn.  5:  14. 


116 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


in  the  crowded  synagogue.  In  all  these  remarks  the  style 
is  free,  informal  and  conversational.  These  sayings  were 
usually  spoken  before  the  miracle  was  wrought. 

The  commendation  and  the  censure  of  Jesus  were  thus 
conveyed.  He  commended  the  faith  of  the  centurion,  who 
illustrated  those  heroes  of  faith  who  should  supplant  the 
sons  of  the  kingdom  in  the  membership  and  benefits  in  the 
kingdom.  The  gratitude  of  the  one  leper,  and  he  the  Samari¬ 
tan,  accented  the  ingratitude  of  the  nine  Jews,  who  took 
their  recovery  as  the  natural  right  of  the  children  of  Abra¬ 
ham.  People  and  disciples  were  rebuked  when  Jesus  de¬ 
scended  from  his  transfiguration  to  the  scene  of  failure,  his 
disciples  being  unable  to  cure  the  demoniac  boy  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain.  Three  times  in  these  sayings  Jesus  sharply 
censured  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 

The  subjects  of  these  sayings  were  fundamental  to  Jesus’ 
ministry.  The  cure  of  the  paralytic  in  Capernaum  made 
prominent  Jesus’  authority  to  forgive  sins;  the  proper  ob¬ 
servance  of  the  Sabbath  was  mentioned  when  he  healed  the 
withered  hand;  the  universal  application  of  the  Gospel  had 
singular  demonstration  through  the  faith  of  the  centurion; 
the  heathen  woman’s  request  called  notice  to  the  primary 
privilege  of  the  Jewish  people;  the  blind  man  heard  the 
declaration  of  the  divine  Sonship  of  Jesus;  Martha  was 
assured  that  Jesus  was  in  himself  the  resurrection  and  the  life; 
Peter  could  almost  hear  the  army  of  heaven,  which  would 
come  with  eager  steps  at  the  command  of  Jesus.  Brief, 
incidental,  and  disjointed,  these  fragmentary  sayings  help 
to  summarize  the  homiletical  method  of  Jesus. 

2.  DISCOURSES. — Jesus  delivered  five  discourses 1  in 
connection  with  his  miracles.  These  discourses  are  apolo¬ 
getic  in  tone.  Five  times  in  these  he  answered  the  criticism 
1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  6,  11,  27,  31,  34. 


HIS  MIRACLES  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


117 


of  foes.  He  defended  his  right  to  work  miracles  and  denied 
being  in  league  with  Beelzebub.  Thrice  he  showed  the 
higher  law  of  the  Sabbath  through  his  deeds  of  mercy.  His 
critics  sought  to  entrap  him  in  speech.  The  contrast  is 
wonderful  between  Jesus  the  benefactor  and  the  synagogue 
ruler,  the  critic,  when  the  poor  woman  was  relieved  of  her 
bondage  and  suffering.  The  synagogue  became  a  cathedral 
of  praise.  In  other  cases  the  unspoken  criticism  was  an¬ 
swered  by  Jesus. 

These  discourses  are  argumentative.  In  his  defence  for 
the  cure  of  the  impotent  man  Jesus  used  close  reasoning, 
seven  times  employing  the  argumentative  yap,  “for”;  this 
discourse  has  onlv  one  illustration  and  four  conditional 

V 

clauses.  He  also  knew  the  advantage  of  the  argument  ad 

o  o 

hominem,  as  in  the  instance  of  the  accusation  of  the  league 
with  the  demons.  These  discourses  contain  comparisons 
and  antitheses.  The  Father  and  the  Son,  the  good  and  the 
evil  fruit,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  are  brought  into 
clear  distinction.  They  are  also  interrogatorv,  and  have 
invectives  and  parables.  The  Worker  of  Miracles  was  the 
Master  Preacher. 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  POLEMICS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  vocation  of  the  Son  of  man  called  forth  the  jealous 
hatred  and  the  unreasonable  opposition  of  the  religious 
leaders.  He  came  to  voice  the  truth  and  the  will  of  the  Father, 
hence  he  could  not  conform  his  message  to  the  current  stand¬ 
ards,  nor  could  he  stultify  his  own  incarnation  and  mission  of 
service  through  submission  to  personal  fear  of  the  enemies  of 
his  cause.  The  Preacher  became  the  strategist  and  polemist. 

Because  of  his  singular  character  and  his  supreme  purpose 
to  do  the  will  of  God  with  unparalleled  faithfulness,  Jesus 
entered  into  contest  with  his  foes,  preferring  that  the  battle 
should  lead  to  the  Cross  rather  than  to  fail  to  fulfil  his  call  to 
Saviourhood  and  seeing  in  this  method  the  ultimate  victory. 
His  polemics  continue  the  unique  grandeur  of  his  preaching. 
To  a  better  appreciation  of  this  homiletical  element  this 
study  is  offered. 

I.  Topical  Polemics 

1.  NATIONALISM. — The  topical  polemical  element  of 
Jesus’  preaching  was  fundamental  to  his  attitude  toward  his 
contemporaries.  The  spirit  of  nationalism,  which  arrogated 
to  itself  a  monopoly  of  the  divine  blessings  and  declared  that 
birth  in  Israel  brought  heavenly  favors,  dominated  the  Jews 
at  the  time  of  Jesus.  These  children  of  Abraham,  whom  God 
had  called  to  father  a  nation  like  unto  the  stars  in  number, 
thought  that  the  red  blood  of  kinship  to  their  ancient  ancestor 

118 


HIS  POLEMICS 


119 


gave  them  part  in  the  deathless  kingdom  of  faith  and 
love. 

Jehovah’s  election  of  Israel  to  become  the  favored  and 
elect  nation  was  an  election  to  service  rather  than  to  privilege, 
since  Israel  should  become  the  channel  of  divine  revelation 
to  all  the  world.  The  voice  of  Jehovah,  heard  in  Israel  for 
direction  in  righteousness,  duty  and  worship,  should  have  a 
far  echo  as  the  peculiar  people  should  bear  the  messages  that 
should  bring  all  nations  to  have  contact  with  the  God  of  Is¬ 
rael.  This  little  nation  was  destined  to  become  the  world’s 
schoolmaster  whose  lessons  should  first  come  from  the  Lord 
of  hosts. 

The  history  of  Israel  abounds  in  illustrations  of  lapses  from 
this  holy  vocation.  The  great  prophets  were  missionary  in 
their  conceptions  of  the  proper  place  for  Israel’s  religion, 
which  deserved  something  better  than  a  provincial  Judaism. 
But  the  religious  leaders  had  perverted  their  national  mission 
into  a  narrow  nationalism,  that  desired  all  favors  to  be  directed 
through,  if  not  limited  to,  Israel. 

This  spirit  of  nationalism  had  so  far  developed  race  bigotry 
and  selfishness  that  by  the  New  Testament  times  the  Jews 
regarded  their  rights  to  the  kingdom  of  God  unquestioned. 
Individual  fitness  in  character  for  such  a  holy  inheritance 
and  personal  resemblance  to  Abraham  beyond  form  and 
feature  did  not  enter  their  minds.  They  considered  that  Je¬ 
hovah  had  obligated  himself  to  redeem  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
and  they  had  forgotten  the  positive  distinction  of  the  prophets 
between  the  natural  and  the  spiritual  Israel,  the  true  and  the 
false,  the  external  and  the  unseen.  The  spiritual  message  of 
Jesus  demanded  a  vital  contact  with  God  and  thus  was  likely 
to  bring  the  Preacher  into  sharp  conflict  with  these  leaders 
who  could  not  tolerate  the  broad  view  of  their  real  destiny. 

Against  this  formalism  in  piety,  in  which  the  imperative 


120 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


of  personal  merit  was  not  the  condition  of  the  divine  reward 
and  approval,  against  this  monopoly  of  the  divine  blessings, 
which  localized  in  Israel  and  her  customs  the  power  and 
presence  of  God,  Jesus  delivered  his  spiritual  and  universal 
message  and  declared  that  birth  from  Abraham  must  be 
followed  by  birth  from  God’s  Spirit,  and  that  the  limits  of 
God’s  kingdom  of  love  and  service  were  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
since  there  the  sinful  and  needy  ones  would  be  found.  Divine 
love  is  commensurate  with  the  penitent  needs  of  a  lost  world. 
Israel  had  neglected  her  day  of  opportunity. 

2.  BIBLIOLATRY. — The  Judaism  of  Jesus’  day  had  really 
come  into  a  bibliolatry  which  exalted  the  sacred  literature 
into  a  false  position  of  authority  and  reverence. 

The  Old  Testament  was  written  to  record  the  history  of 
God’s  dealings  with  men  in  his  effort  to  reveal  the  proper 
forms  of  truth  and  worship.  It  is  a  marvellous  summary  of 
patient  instruction  in  righteousness,  of  merciful  leadership  of 
the  select  nation,  and  of  revelations  of  God’s  character.  It 
was  intended  to  serve  as  a  guide-book  to  Israel  in  matters 
religious,  and  through  Israel  to  the  heathen  world.  Born  of 
the  prophetical  and  national  experiences,  outlining  the  course 
of  history  through  the  guiding  hand  of  God,  containing  the 
aspirations  of  the  pious  soul  in  communion  with  its  God, 
and  bringing  directly  the  divine  correctives  and  approvals  to 
men,  this  sacred  book  was  designed  and  fitted  to  have  a  per¬ 
manent  value  and  message  both  to  Israel  and  the  Gentiles. 
History,  prophecy,  psalmody,  and  wisdom-sayings  were  to 
enter  through  Israel’s  help  into  the  system  of  divine  pedagogy 
for  all  men. 

The  primary  purpose  of  the  Old  Testament  was  to  prepare 
the  world  for  Christ  as  the  Saviour  from  sin.  The  records  of 
those  far-away  days  of  primitive  men  teach  the  progress  of 
the  providential  order  until  the  election  of  Abraham  to  become 


HIS  POLEMICS 


121 


the  father  of  the  faithful  through  whose  seed  might  be 
redeemed  the  promise  of  the  Prot-evangelium.1  Out  of  the 
worldly  Israel  the  pious  remnant  could  be  gathered  to  pre¬ 
serve  the  ever-increasing  revelations  about  the  Coming  One. 
Legislation,  types  and  symbols,  prophecy  and  proverb  should 
serve  to  discipline  Israel  to  be  ready  to  know'  and  receive  the 
Messiah  who  should  redeem  his  people  and  be  the  light  to  the 
Gentiles.  The  blood  of  bulls  and  lambs  would  have  been 
vain  libations  without  more  vitality  for  righteousness  than 
heathen  sacrifices  unless  they  had  looked  intentionally  and 
primarily  to  “the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world.”  2  Upon  Calvary  focused  the  lines  of  Hebrew 
history  and  revelation. 

Herein  may  be  found  the  permanent  and  spiritual  value  of 
the  Old  Testament.  Omit  Christ  as  the  definite  and  sufficient 
end,  and  these  sacred  books  would  contain  but  the  story  of 
national  failure  and  unrealized  religious  aspirations. 

But  the  Jews  exalted  their  Book  into  a  virtual  idolatry. 
This  bibliolatry,  regard  for  the  book  rather  than  for  its 
message,  resulted  from  the  literalism  in  interpretation;  it 
produced  two  tendencies,  one  regarding  the  letter  of  supreme 
importance  in  matters  of  obedience,  the  other  fixing  undue 
weight  to  the  mass  of  historic  opinions  of  the  rabbis  who  had 
interpreted  the  sacred  text.  The  sacredness  of  the  text 
demanded  absolute  obedience  to  its  form  and  forbade  popular 
attempts  to  discover  its  spiritual  meaning.  Rabbinical  opin¬ 
ions,  hoarv  with  age  and  dustv  with  uninteresting  thoughts, 
claimed  the  same  consideration  as  the  text  of  Scripture. 
These  two  tendencies,  widely  received  and  respected,  led  to 
formal  piety,  commendable  and  sufficient,  even  though  the 
heart  might  be  filled  with  unholy  passions. 

Jesus  sought  to  restore  the  Old  Testament  to  its  rightful 
1  Gen.  3:  15. 


2  Jn.  1:29. 


122 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


place  as  the  authority  for  the  spirit  of  worship.  With  the 
current  book  worship  he  contrasted  the  incarnation  of  truth 
in  the  experience  of  the  worshipper,  who  might  not  be  ap¬ 
proved  simply  for  external  righteousness.  The  Book  should 
pass  from  reverenced  parchment  into  a  living,  heart-stirring, 
directive  message  from  God  to  men  and  women  in  their 
sorrows  and  sins. 

Jesus  thereby  antagonized  the  religious  teachers,  the 
custodians  of  knowledge,  who  were  satisfied  with  a  bibli- 
olatry  while  the  poor  penitent  sinner  hungered  for  the  bread 
of  life.  God  had  spoken  in  many  ways  to  the  heart  of  men, 
and  now  it  befitted  men  to  answer  him  in  the  heart’s  apprecia¬ 
tion  and  obedience.  Thus  would  be  completed  the  double 
movement  of  true  worship. 

Jesus  did  not  attempt  to  galvanize  the  corpse  into  action; 
he  came  to  impart  a  new  life  for  the  spirit,  and  this  privilege 
of  newness  of  life  would  come  to  Israel  and  the  individual 
upon  the  same  condition;  there  must  be  personal,  spiritual 
union  with  himself  and  the  Father  through  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  For  the  religion  of  the  letter  he  substituted 
that  of  the  spirit,  for  bibliolatry  he  offered  the  worship  of  the 
Person. 

3.  MESSIANISM. — The  Messianic  Hope  was  an  essential 
part  of  the  religious  and  civic  ambitions  of  Israel.  Jesus 
rebuked  with  discriminative  fairness  and  sharpness  the 
current  Messianism.  The  Old  Testament  had  created  the 
hope  that  Jehovah  would  one  day  send  the  Messiah,  his 
Anointed,  his  Christ,  to  redeem  Israel,  the  terms  of  the 
redemption  varying  with  the  needs  and  dispositions  of  times 
and  seers,  but  with  the  abiding  assurance  that  Jehovah  would 
really  come  to  the  help  of  his  people.  One  may  study  with 
profit  the  prophetic  growth  and  delineations  of  this  Hope,  but 
the  present  purpose  is  concerned  with  the  degraded  Messian- 


HIS  POLEMICS 


123 


ism  which  called  forth  the  rebukes  of  Jesus  and  which  inter¬ 
fered  with  his  mission. 

The  current  hope  had  fallen  from  the  permanent  and  true 
ideal  of  God’s  reign  in  righteousness  and  deliverance  to  the 
demand  for  a  kingdom  of  world-wide  power  and  glory,  bring¬ 
ing  shame  to  the  Mistress  of  the  World.  The  Messianic 
kingdom  should  attain  victorious  militarism  and  honor. 
The  Maccabean  struggles  for  national  liberty  and  the  con¬ 
tinued  oppression  of  Rome  had  accented  this  temporal  ideal 
that  had  its  vision  of  restored  Jerusalem,  rich,  powerful,  and 
supreme.  Each  party  in  the  nation  interpreted  the  good 
effects  to  come  from  the  new  order  in  harmony  with  party 
ideals,  but  the  Pharisee,  the  Sadducee,  the  Herodian,  and  the 
Nationalist,  differing  in  their  details  of  Messianic  programs, 
agreed  in  the  general  expectation  of  a  temporal  kingdom, 
while  the  common  people  were  willing  to  receive  any  deliverer 
from  their  burdens  both  civic  and  religious.  Differences  in 
details  made  more  pronounced  the  unity  of  demand  for  a 
military  hero. 

Jesus  attacked  this  debased  Messianism.  He  hurled  his 
invectives  at  the  false  leaders,  he  presented  his  more  spiritual 
and  exalted  ideals  for  the  Messiah,  and  invited  contact  with 
God  through  his  mediation;  but  the  political  and  religious 
parties  continued  to  look  to  the  future  for  their  great  man. 
As  the  substitute  for  the  current  Messianism  with  its  depend¬ 
ence  upon  the  throne  of  gold  and  an  army  of  legions  he 
presented  the  personal  sovereignty  of  God,  their  King,  whose 
fellowship  for  the  oppressed  and  suffering  subjects  would  be 
attested  in  his  own  Calvary  and  whose  limits  of  reign  would 
reach  the  most  distant  and  humble  heart  of  faith. 

The  Twelve,  blessed  with  nearness  to  his  person  and  hon¬ 
ored  with  the  commission  of  the  apostolate,  did  not  sur¬ 
render  their  cherished  ambitions  for  preferment  in  a  worldly 


124 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


kingdom  until  the  resurrection  of  their  King  had  confirmed 
the  spirituality  of  his  message  and  mission.  The  spectre  of 
a  dead  hope  flitted  before  the  disciple  as  he  spoke  to  his  un¬ 
known  Lord  on  the  Emmaus  road:  “But  we  hoped  that  it 
was  he  who  should  redeem  Israel/’  1  They  could  not  see 
beyond  the  historic  method  of  earthly  power  and  redemption. 
Israel  had  often  celebrated  freedom  from  enemies  through  a 
divinely  sent  judge  or  king.  The  memory  of  the  past  and 
the  carnal  hopes  for  the  future  fashioned  the  image  of  the 
desired  Messiah. 


II.  Aggressive  Polemics 

1.  HUMBLE  ORIGIN. — Jesus  faced  bravely  and  repeat¬ 
edly  the  aggressive  polemics  of  his  foes.  Upon  his  second 
visit  to  his  old  home  at  Nazareth  he  astonished  the  people  by 
his  wisdom  and  mighty  works,  but  his  .enemies  sought  to  find 
the  secret  of  his  power;  their  failure,  the  consequent  chagrin, 
and  their  natural  hatred  of  one  so  far  from  their  own  low 
standards  led  them  to  declare  that  his  humble  origin  would 
preclude  him  from  greatness. 

Jesus’  enemies  could  not  understand  him,  for  they  could 
not  see  how  his  family  life  could  have  fruited  in  divinity. 
Out  of  their  daily  fellowship  with  his  kinsfolk  they  brought 
the  family  type  of  thought  and  life  for  Jesus,  but  he  was  not 
to  be  limited  thus  to  the  cottage  outlook  upon  the  wrorld;  his 
was  the  royal  mind.  His  enemies  adduced  his  peasant  birth 
and  rearing  as  sufficient  proofs  of  his  mediocrity,  because 
they  regarded  position  in  life  as  unquestionable  evidence  of 
heaven’s  blessing.  Lowly  in  birth  but  of  royal  blood,  quiet 
in  dress  and  deportment,  simple  in  his  severe  conditions  of 
discipleship,  and  spiritual  in  his  own  religious  life,  Jesus 
failed  to  receive  the  hero  worship  from  these  charlatans,  who 

1  Lk.  24:21. 


HIS  POLEMICS 


125 


preferred  show  to  character  and  loud  professions  to  simple 
goodness. 

This  charge  of  humble  origin  was  repeated  at  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles.  Jesus  produced  his  usual  wonder  in  the  popular 
mind.  The  rabbis  combined  this  charge  of  lowly  birth  with 
that  of  disregard  for  the  rabbinical  schools.  He  could  not  be 
a  real  teacher  of  worth  because  he  had  never  learned  from 
them.  In  these  teachers  of  reputation  resided  all  the  sources 
of  truth  and  wisdom,  the  ignorant  proving  themselves  such 
by  neglect  of  these  fountains  of  mental  life.  But  this  popu¬ 
lar  Preacher  had  never  matriculated  in  these  schools,  he  had 
refused  their  literary  training.  Such  presumption  and  dis¬ 
respect  were  unpardonable.  The  masses  must  be  warned 
against  this  bigoted  Preacher,  for  he  would  profit  by  the 
same  popular  credulity  that  had  given  them  their  influence. 

2.  POPULARITY. — Jesus  had  attracted  such  notice  and 
had  gained  so  large  a  following  by  the  time  of  the  Feast  of 
Tabernacles  in  29  a.  d.  as  to  arouse  the  anxiety  as  well  as 
the  hatred  of  his  enemies.  His  popularity  was  indicated  in 
their  charge  that  “he  leadeth  the  multitude  astray.”  1  Fear 
of  the  people,  wdiose  favorite  Jesus  wras  at  the  time,  pre¬ 
vented  any  open  measures  toward  disturbing  his  ministry, 
but  their  eyes  wTere  open  to  see  the  propitious  time  to  end 
the  career  of  this  miracle-working  Preacher. 

Popularity  is  a  variable  factor  in  maintaining  a  career, 
but  it  was  'with  Jesus  at  this  time.  A  year  later,  and  just 
before  Jesus’  last  visit  to  Jerusalem,  the  Sanhedrin  plotted 
his  death  upon  the  plea  of  his  popularity.  “  If  we  let  him 
thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe  on  him.”  2  The  occupation 
of  the  religious  leaders  was  in  jeopardy,  for  the  crowds  were 
seeking  the  new  Preacher  whose  ideas  differed  so  materially 
from  theirs.  They  were  not  ready  for  the  self-abasement 
iJn.  7:12.  2  Jn.  H;48. 


126 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


of  John  the  Baptist  whose  joy  was  fulfilled  in  the  greater 
success  of  his  Master.  The  charge  of  popularity  was  in¬ 
tended  to  arouse  envy  and  bitterness  toward  Jesus.  His  very 
success  was  used  to  hurt  him  and  to  hinder  his  cause. 

3.  ASSOCIATIONS. — Three  times  his  enemies  sought  to 
destroy  Jesus’  influence  by  the  base  insinuation  that  his 
company  was  not  in  keeping  with  his  holy  profession.  Upon 
the  occasion  of  Matthew’s  feast  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 
murmured  that  Jesus  should  eat  with  the  publicans  and  the 
sinners,  for  these  leaders  considered  the  touch  of  such  people 
defiling.  Jesus  answered  the  unspoken  criticism  of  another 
host,  Simon  the  Pharisee,  whose  lack  of  hospitality  gave  the 
observant  and  gentle  Preacher  the  opportunity  to  commend 
the  foot-bath  of  tears  which  the  woman  of  sin  offered  as  her 
tribute  of  love  to  her  Lord.  It  was  probably  in  Perea  that 
the  publicans  and  sinners  sought  Jesus,  and  “both  the 
Pharisees  and  the  scribes  murmured,  saying,  This  man 
receiveth  sinners  and  eateth  with  them.”  1 

These  self-satisfied  and  bigoted  teachers  of  religion,  to 
whom  all  attention  and  honor  had  come  from  the  higher 
classes  of  the  people,  felt  slighted  because  Jesus  preferred  the 
company  of  the  despised  classes  from  whom  they  had  been 
cut  off  by  the  ordinary  demands  of  social  decency,  since  their 
call  from  God  to  be  religious  leaders  had  not  included  the 
need  to  risk  their  reputations  and  to  offend  their  tastes. 
They  were  too  good  to  associate  with  the  sinners  even  for 
the  missionary  impulse. 

The  serenity  of  Jesus  under  such  suggestions  only  in¬ 
creased  the  anger  of  his  foes,  who  could  not  understand  his 
motive  for  compassionate  interest  in  these  unfortunates. 
Their  own  narrow  experiences  with  temptation  and  sin  led 
them  to  postulate  the  same  standards  for  Jesus.  But  Phar- 

1  Lk.  15:2. 


HIS  POLEMICS 


127 


isaical  hatred  and  insinuations  could  not  deter  this  Preacher 
with  the  divine  heart  from  giving  both  succor  and  himself  to 
these  helpless  and  friendless  sinners. 

4.  LEAGUE  WITH  EVIL. — Shortly  after  leaving  the  home 
of  Jairus  in  Capernaum  Jesus  healed  a  dumb  demoniac. 
The  people  marvelled  at  his  power,  attributing  it  to  God; 
“but  the  Pharisees  said,  By  the  prince  of  the  demons 
casteth  he  out  demons/’  1  At  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
Jesus  charged  the  crowds  writh  plotting  his  death,  and  “the 
multitude  answered.  Thou  hast  a  demon:  who  seeketh  to 
kill  thee?”  2  At  this  feast  Jesus  claimed  for  his  own  words 
the  same  authority  as  for  God’s  words.  “The  Jews  an¬ 
swered  and  said  unto  him,  Say  we  not  well  that  thou  art  a 
Samaritan,  and  hast  a  demon  ?”  3 

This  charge  of  being  in  co-operation  with  the  prince  of 
demons  was  repeated  later  in  Perea.4  Such  a  charge  turned 
the  holy  life  and  power  of  Jesus  into  service  for  Satan, 
thereby  identifying  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  whom  the  min¬ 
istry  of  miracles  had  been  performed,  with  the  evil  forces. 
It  was  after  such  a  charge  that  Jesus  declared  that  the  sin 
without  pardon  was  the  transgression  against  the  Holy  Spirit. 

5.  BLASPHEMY. — Three  times  5  his  enemies  declared 
that  Jesus  was  a  blasphemer.  Jesus  assured  the  poor  para¬ 
lytic  in  Capernaum,  when  the  roof  had  been  removed  to 
provide  a  way  to  the  miracle-worker,  that  his  sins  would  be 
forgiven;  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  said  that  Jesus  had 
usurped  the  divine  prerogative  and  had  therefore  blas¬ 
phemed.  The  healing  of  the  cripple  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda 
brought  from  Jesus  the  statement  that  his  Father  worked 
and  that  he  but  imitated  his  example;  the  Jews  denied  his 


i  Mt.  9:  34. 

3  Jn.  8:  48. 

sMt.  9:  3 1 1 ;  Jn.  5:  18;  10:  33. 


2  Jn.  7:  20. 

4  Jn.  10:  20,  21. 


128 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


equality  with  God  as  a  blasphemy.  At  the  Feast  of  Dedica¬ 
tion  Jesus  claimed  oneness  with  the  Father,  and  the  Jews 
sought  to  stone  him,  for  they  did  not  see  the  mystic  union, 
which  could  be  appreciated  only  by  the  faith  in  Jesus  which 
they  rejected.  The  current  demand  for  naturalistic  standards 
of  judgment  for  Jesus  forbade  any  but  this  criticism  of 
blasphemy.  If  he  had  been  simply  a  man,  their  charge 
would  have  been  just  and  needful,  but,  since  he  was  the  Son 
of  God,  their  enmity  led  them  into  disobedience  to  God’s 
provision  of  grace.  The  accused  went  his  way  of  shame  to 
his  glory  and  honor;  his  accusers  missed  their  eternal  joy  and 
peace. 

6.  THE  TRADITIONS. — From  the  Pharisaical  viewpoint 
the  severe  charge  of  disregard  for  the  traditions  would 
have  been  quite  sufficient  to  condemn  Jesus  as  unworthy 
the  respect  of  the  nation.  To  the  Old  Testament  there  had 
been  added  numerous  customs  as  the  outgrowth  of  the  in¬ 
terpretations  of  the  sacred  text.  In  the  course  of  time  these 
traditions  gathered  the  weight  of  authority  because  of  their 
age  and  their  high  source  in  the  opinion  of  learned  scholars. 
The  Book  itself  must  be  either  interpreted  according  to  these 
traditions  or  disregarded.  Harsh  and  unreasonable,  puerile 
and  foolish,  these  customs  fell  under  the  censure  of  Jesus 
both  through  his  spoken  word  and  through  neglect  to  follow 
them.  His  mind  was  fixed  upon  the  essentials  of  life  and 
truth.  The  prevailing  attitude  of  scribes  and  Pharisees 
differed  materially  from  that  of  Jesus,  for  he  regarded  these 
traditions  as  hindrances  to  faith  and  service  to  God  and 
men. 

Twice  the  murmur  of  discontent  was  distinctly  heard 
because  Jesus  and  his  disciples  ate  without  bathing  the 
hands.  This  charge  was  so  primal  and  condemnatory  as  to 
call  for  a  special  embassy  to  come  from  Jerusalem  to  Galilee 


HIS  POLEMICS 


129 


to  present  it  and  thereby  to  create  hatred  and  opposition  to 
Jesus.  Six  times  1  the  lovers  of  the  past  preferred  against 
Jesus  the  charge  of  Sabbath  desecration.  The  hungry  dis¬ 
ciples  were  not  conscious  sinners  when  they  plucked  the  ripe 
grain,  nor  did  the  Son  of  man  intend  to  become  a  trans¬ 
gressor  of  the  divine  law  when  he  performed  the  five  miracles 
of  healing  on  the  Sabbath,  but  the  critics  were  loud  in  their 
denunciations.  These  narrow  and  selfish  formalists  had 
exalted  the  external  conformity  to  law  to  the  extent  that 
allowed  them  to  behold  the  sufferings  of  fellow-men  without 
alleviation  of  pains  on  the  Sabbath,  but  their  mercenary  plans 
required  attention  to  their  beasts.  Money  was  more  than 
men. 

The  heart  of  Jesus  heard  the  cry  of  distress  and  his  brave 
soul  did  not  falter  even  in  the  face  of  bitter  opposition  and 
unjust  charges.  He  saw  the  higher  law  of  service;  his  enemies 
were  too  entranced  with  the  letter  to  appreciate  the  spirit  of 
their  sacred  books. 

7.  AUTHORITY. — The  word  of  Jesus  rang  with  a  new 
and  an  unexpected  note  of  authority,  which  irritated  the 
leaders  while  it  drew  the  people.  The  current  oratory  was 
but  the  delivery  of  the  thoughts  of  dead  men,  the  vigor  of  life 
and  the  freshness  of  individual  composition  being  absent 
from  the  discourses.  The  lessons  of  the  long  ago  were 
conned  with  senseless  veneration  but  with  comparative 
popular  favor. 

This  new  Preacher  entirely  passed  the  heroes  of  thought, 
not  once  quoting  from  the  favorite  authors  in  his  own  sup¬ 
port.  He  seemed  to  cast  the  slur  of  silence  upon  these 
honored  teachers.  He  did  not  even  seem  conscious  of  his 
disrespect,  so  confident  was  he  that  his  own  word  was  of 
absolute  authority  and  compulsion  for  conscience.  The 

1  Mt.  12:  1—8 1  [ ;  Appendix,  Miracles,  Nos.  8,  9,  27,  28,  29. 

9 


130 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


doctors  of  the  law  repelled  this  new  note  in  public  address, 
but  this  fact  did  not  alter  the  form  of  Jesus’  sermons  or  deter 
him  from  speaking  the  message  of  the  Father. 

III.  Defensive  Polemics 

1.  SILENCE. — Jesus  had  the  grace  of  silence.  He  could 
see  the  unspoken  criticisms  and  hear  the  murmurs,  and  yet 
his  calm  dignity  and  great  reservation  of  speech  would  not  be 
disturbed.  The  person  of  rare  gifts  of  control  can  quietly 
endure  calumnies  and  evil  reports.  He  could  have  justified 
all  his  deeds,  but  he  often  chose  the  polemics  of  silence.  The 
records  show  that  he  passed  in  silence  two  charges  of  being 
in  league  with  evil,  one  for  blasphemy,  and  one  for  popu¬ 
larity.  With  severe  sarcasm,  with  appeal  to  the  Scriptures, 
or  with  argument  he  might  have  met  his  critics,  but  his 
success  might  have  puffed  up  the  opponents  with  the  thought 
of  having  disturbed  and  provoked  to  anger  this  popular 
Preacher,  while  his  silence  would  enrage  them,  since  few 
people  can  forgive  the  silence  of  neglect. 

2.  THE  SIGN. — The  demand  for  signs  was  unheeded  by 
Jesus  except  as  he  gave  his  polemics  this  method.  He  would 
not  be  forced  to  attest  his  heavenly  vocation  by  the  heavenly 
sign,  but  he  would  bring  confusion  to  his  foes  by  citation 
of  events  that  served  as  signs.  Neither  popular  desire  nor 
official  command  could  induce  him  to  work  a  miracle  as  a 
sign.  He  offered  signs  that  should  have  been  perceived. 
His  first  cleansing  of  the  Temple  caused  his  critics  to  request 
his  authority  in  an  attesting  sign.  Jesus  said:  “Destroy  this 
Temple,  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up.”  1  Only  deeper 
rage  filled  his  foes,  who  could  not  appreciate  this  beautiful 
imagery  of  his  approaching  death  and  resurrection,  as  indeed 
neither  did  his  disciples.  The  contact  with  the  Risen  Lord 

1  Jn.  2: 19. 


HIS  POLEMICS 


131 


was  needed  to  enlighten  his  beloved  band.  Near  Magadan 
the  Sadducees  combined  with  their  religious  antagonists  in 
attempting  to  entrap  Jesus  with  the  request  for  a  sign.  Jesus 
answered  with  the  reference  to  the  weather  forecasts  and  the 
sign  of  Jonah.  The  speech  of  nature  they  could  interpret, 
but  that  of  history  and  divine  providence  through  the  Messiah 
they  missed. 

3.  MIRACLES. — Jesus  occasionally  defended  himself 
against  certain  charges  through  his  miracles.  He  aroused 
extreme  enmity  and  its  sharp  expression  when  he  announced 
forgiveness  of  sins  to  the  paralytic  of  Capernaum.  He  met 
the  charge  of  blasphemy  with  an  immediate  cure  of  the 
forgiven  man.  To  forgive  sins  would  not  require  greater 
power  than  to  cure  the  incurable.  “  But  that  ye  may  know 
that  the  Son  of  man  hath  authority  on  earth  to  forgive  sins 
(then  saith  he  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy) ,  Arise,  and  take  up  thy 
bed,  and  go  unto  thy  house.”  1  The  glad  obedience  of  the 
man  could  not  escape  the  notice  of  the  multitude.  He 
demonstrated  the  true  Sabbath  observance  in  contrast  to 
the  Pharisaical  method  by  healing  the  withered  hand  and  the 
dropsical  man.  A  normal  body  and  a  released  sufferer  would 
be  greater  honor  to  the  day  of  rest  than  restrictions  against 
gathering  sticks. 

4.  THE  SCRIPTURES. “The  Old  Testament  furnished 
Jesus  with  polemical  material  both  in  historical  events  and 
declared  truths.  The  people  theoretically  regarded  the 
Scriptures  as  authoritative,  but  they  had  been  shut  off  from 
a  vital  touch  wdth  this  body  of  truth  because  the  leaders 
taught  opinions  about  the  Scriptures  rather  than  the  text 
itself.  Jesus’  appeal  to  the  Word  brought  a  new  instrument 
of  debate  and  warfare.  He  referred  to  prominent  incidents 
in  the  life  of  David,  Moses,  and  Abraham,  and  made  quota- 

1  Mt.  9:  6j|. 


132 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


tions  from  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Deuteronomy,  and  the  Psalms 
for  polemical  purposes.  To  the  chosen  nation  this  argument 
should  have  been  most  convincing. 

5.  FORMAL  ARGUMENT. — I  have  noticed  twenty-two 
examples  of  Jesus’  use  of  formal  argument  in  his  polemics. 
He  was  the  master  of  formal  dialectics,  for  his  knowledge  of 
the  processes  of  reasoning  was  accurate  and  complete,  while 
his  immediate  insight  into  the  mind  of  his  opponent  com¬ 
prehended  every  impulse  and  unspoken  thought  and  inten¬ 
tion.  To  him  the  task  was  easy  and  his  foes  could  not  repel 
his  arguments  that  were  based  upon  their  inmost  purposes. 
They  could  not  deceive  or  entrap  him.  The  ordinary  rhetori¬ 
cal  forms  of  argument  were  used.  The  multitudes  often 
witnessed  the  enforced  silence  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
who  could  not  answer  the  intellectual  keenness  of  Jesus. 
Failing  to  meet  his  arguments,  they  resorted  to  the  baser 
argument  of  intrigue  and  persecution. 

IV.  Individualized  Polemics 

Jesus  showed  his  greatness  as  a  polemist  in  his  personalized 
polemics,  for  the  human  passions  here  come  to  direct  con¬ 
test  with  the  sincere  purity  of  Jesus.  Common  foes  enter 
conspiracies  against  the  Preacher,  forgetting  their  own 
quarrels  in  the  greater  hatred  for  the  commanding  person 
who  was  about  to  take  complete  mastery  of  the  religious 
situation  in  Israel. 

The  special  combatants  in  the  war  of  words  and  ideas  in 
Jesus’  polemics  appear  once  in  each  of  these  nine  cases — a 
ruler  of  the  synagogue,  the  collectors  of  the  Temple-tax,  the 
Sadducees,  the  Pharisees  and  Herodians,  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  Simon  the  Pharisee,  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees, 
the  chief  priests  and  scribes,  the  chief  priests  with  scribes 
and  elders;  twice  in  each  of  these  cases,  the  chief  priests  and 


HIS  POLEMICS 


133 


Pharisees,  a  lawyer;  six  times,  the  Pharisees  with  their  scribes; 
seven  times,  the  Pharisees  without  further  aid;  eight  times, 
the  Jews  without  further  distinction  of  classes. 

These  combinations  are  suggestive  of  the  dire  necessity 
that  befell  the  enemies  of  Jesus  to  marshal  every  force  of 
evil,  formalism,  nationalism,  religious  bigotry,  class  pride, 
and  selfish  protection  of  profession  in  order  that  Jesus  might 
not  gain  entire  control  over  the  religious  customs  and  beliefs. 

The  Pharisees  were  the  natural  and  prominent  leaders  in 
the  effort  to  ruin  the  reputation  of  Jesus  and  to  put  him  to 
death.  Their  prominence  in  this  respect  is  recorded  as 
many  as  eighteen  times.  Reasons  for  this  bitterness  toward 
Jesus  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  his  theological  outlook 
differed  so  radically  from  theirs;  his  simplicity  and  spirituality 
rebuked  their  customs  and  their  formalism.  Another  source 
of  bitterness  came  from  their  fear  that  he  wmuld  displace 
them  in  popular  favor  and  thus  destroy  their  profession  as 
teachers.  It  was  not  difficult  for  the  Pharisees  to  perceive 
that  the  new  kingdom  of  Jesus’  outline  was  not  broad  enough 
to  include  their  hypocrisy,  for  the  essential  requirement  of 
participation  in  this  kingdom  looked  to  the  heart  rather  than 
to  the  outward  acts. 

The  common  people  seldom  take  the  initiative  in  opposi¬ 
tion  to  a  great  person;  it  takes  the  demagogue  to  arouse 
general  prejudice  and  to  direct  the  conflict.  Jerusalem  was 
the  logical  centre  of  this  storm.  Then  came  Capernaum 
and  Perea.  All  parts  of  the  Holy  Land  with  the  exception 
of  Samaria  served  as  the  field  for  this  battle  royal. 

On  the  one  side  were  the  forces  of  formalism  in  religion 
and  the  accredited  leaders  of  opinion,  combinations  of  all 
the  interested  parties,  who  sawT  their  own  prestige  decline 
with  the  success  of  Jesus ;  on  the  other  side  stood  the  Man  of 
Galilee  with  a  few  obscure  followers  who  could  but  add 


134 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


responsibility  to  himself.  There  are  no  monuments  to  mark 
the  scenes  of  conflict,  there  are  no  remnants  of  sword  and 
shield;  but  the  historian  of  religion  and  life  marks  these 
days  as  pivotal  in  the  destiny  of  men. 

V.  Oratorical  Polemics 

The  oratorical  polemics  of  Jesus  may  be  found  in  the 
fragmentary  sayings  and  the  twenty-one  discourses  1  that 
may  be  classed  strictly  as  polemical  in  tone  and  purpose. 
In  these  discourses,  delivered  on  five  occasions,  were  eleven 
parables  2  and  four  miracles  3  connected  with  them.  Two  4 
of  these  discourses  dealt  with  the  charge  of  being  in  league 
with  Beelzebub  and  three  5  with  the  question  of  the  Sabbath. 
Jesus  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  betrayed  into  an  unguarded 
or  ill-timed  remark,  his  enemies  being  constantly  on  the 
watch  for  such  lapses.  His  oratorical  polemics  show  his 
judgment  in  the  selection  and  grouping  of  his  thoughts  so 
that  he  might  accomplish  his  mission  and  deliver  his  message 
even  in  the  face  of  organized  and  wicked  opposition. 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  4,  6,  7,  11,  12,  16,  17,  21,  22,  25,  28,  31,  32, 
34,  36,  37,  41,  46,  47,  48,  49. 

2  Appendix,  Sec.  Ill,  Nos.  10,  15,  16,  19,  20,  21,  22,  23,  29,  30,  31. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  Nos.  8,  12,  28,  29. 

4  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  27,  32. 

6  Appendix,  Sec.  I,  1,  Nos.  6,  7,  34. 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  PERSONAL-DELIVERY  ELEMENT  OF  HIS 

PREACHING 


The  delivery  of  Jesus  as  a  preacher  should  be  studied 
with  the  same  guiding  principles  in  mind  that  determine 
excellence  in  other  public  speakers.  Style  in  delivery 
forms  the  expression  of  the  man  as  truly  as  does  style  in 
composition.  The  frequently  quoted  truths  are  here  appli¬ 
cable:  Buffon,  “The  style  is  the  man”;  Landor,  “Language 
is  a  part  of  a  man’s  character”;  Lessing,  “Every  man  should 
have  his  own  style  as  he  has  his  own  nose.”  The  personal- 
delivery  element  largely  makes  or  mars  the  effectiveness  of 
the  discourse. 

In  this  regard  Jesus  was  not  an  exception,  since  he  pur¬ 
posed  to  use  oral  discourse  as  the  method  of  his  ministry;  he 
could  have  written  books.  However  important  and  spiritual 
the  material  of  preaching  may  be,  even  the  Master  Preacher 
could  not  afford  to  neglect  the  externals  of  method  in  the 
presentation.  Genius  has  regard  for  details.  Jesus  harmo¬ 
nized  his  materials  and  methods.  His  delivery  was  graciously 
effective. 


I.  Jesus’  Personal  Appearance 

1.  DRESS. — Carlyle  has  emphasized  the  fact  that  clothes 
do  not  determine  a  man’s  value  to  society.  The  Master  had 
already  declared  that  life  could  not  be  estimated  in  terms 
of  meat  and  raiment.  But  the  homiletical  force  of  dress, 

135 


136 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


care  for  the  body,  and  general  appearance  should  have 
consideration  even  in  this  study  of  Jesus.  The  history  of 
the  drama  teaches  the  lesson  of  the  place  occupied  by  exter¬ 
nals  in  popular  appreciation;  costume  and  stage  adornments 
help  to  make  the  drama  effective  in  delivery. 

The  present  customs  of  the  Palestinian  Jew  aid  the  effort 
to  recast  the  far-away  New  Testament  habits,  since  the 
Orient  has  changed  but  little  wTith  the  centuries.  Jesus 
followed  the  manners  of  his  people  in  matters  of  dress.  His 
family  belonged  to  the  middle  class  of  society  whose  toil 
furnished  them  life’s  needs.  He  himself  was  a  carpenter,  a 
workingman,  a  son  of  labor.  His  dress  would  then  consist 
of  the  shirt,  or  coat,  which  was  worn  next  to  the  skin  and 
was  made  wdth  short  sleeves  and  long  body  reaching  below 
the  knees.  Around  the  waist  the  girdle  of  cloth  or  leather 
was  wound,  the  shirt  therewith  being  looped  to  form  a  flow¬ 
ing  bosom,  which  might  serve  for  a  pocket.  Then  the  cloak 
was  thrown  over  the  left  shoulder  and  brought  under  the 
right  arm  to  be  fastened.  The  materials  for  these  garments 
wTould  vary  according  to  the  wealth  of  the  person,  the  work¬ 
ingman  wearing  substantial  but  not  costly  cloth.  White 
goods  were  worn  mostly,  the  colored  garments  belonging 
more  to  the  gala  days  and  to  the  richer  classes. 

The  head  was  covered  with  the  turban,  which  might  be 
varied  in  shape,  but  which  almost  invariably  protected  the 
back  of  the  neck  from  the  scorching  sun.  Jesus  probably 
conformed  to  this  general  practice  and  covered  his  head, 
though  the  artists  of  all  centuries  have  almost  without  excep¬ 
tion  painted  him  with  head  uncovered.  Leather  or  wooden 
sandals  were  worn,  but  they  rarely  served  for  more  than  a 
protection  for  the  soles  of  the  feet;  they  were  fastened  by 
strings  passed  over  the  toes  or  around  the  ankles.  The 
Gospels  leave  us  to  conclusions  drawn  from  the  general 


THE  PERSONAL-DELIVERY  ELEMENT 


137 


custom,  since  they  do  not  describe  Jesus’  attire.  The  refer¬ 
ence  to  the  seamless  garment  was  to  his  inner  coat  or  shirt. 

2.  LIKENESS. — Christian  art  does  not  contribute  an 
authentic  portrait  of  Jesus.  His  immediate  followers  did 
not  seem  to  feel  the  need  for  such  portrayal  either  through 
words  or  sketches,  and  whatever  traditions  may  have  been 
current  about  his  looks  were  lost;  the  early  efforts  to  present 
Jesus  were  not  true  to  life.  The  art  of  the  first  centuries, 
when  Biblical  subjects  were  attempted,  was  satisfied  to 
present  an  imaginary  image  of  Jesus,  this  being  characteris¬ 
tic  of  both  the  groups  with  Jesus  in  them  and  the  individual 
sketches  of  him. 

The  lack  of  an  absolutely  reliable  likeness  of  Jesus  is 

V 

partially  supplied  by  the  wonderful  wealth  of  artistic  concep¬ 
tion  of  his  face  and  form.  The  history  of  Christian  art 

i 

discloses  several  types  of  the  portraits  of  Jesus.  The  first 
type  gave  the  face  and  form  of  a  beardless  youth,  the  artists 
giving  their  own  conception  of  what  Jesus  should  have  been, 
attempts  at  accurate  portrayal  being  far  from  the  motive. 
This  type  of  picture  prevailed  in  the  third  and  fourth  cen¬ 
turies  and  could  be  found  in  the  Catacombs,  on  sarcophagi, 
in  mosaics  of  various  kinds,  and  in  other  forms  of  art.  Then 
came  the  type  of  the  robust  man  with  bearded  face;  this  type 
belongs  to  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries,  gradually  displacing 
the  former  type.  Then  followed  the  Byzantine  type  in  the 
Roman  mosaics  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  presenting 
Jesus  under  the  growing  ascetic  idea  of  a  man  with  a  mature 
face,  beard  and  long  hair,  deep-set  eyes  and  hard  features. 
Modern  art  represents  him  in  ideal  beauty  and  perfection 
but  without  attempting  to  reproduce  the  original  likeness. 
Here  belong  the  masters  Fra  Angelico,  Raphael,  Leonardo 
da  Vinci,  Michael  Angelo,  Titian,  and  Rubens. 

In  the  early  centuries  the  question  of  Jesus’  likeness 


138 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


created  two  contending  parties,  each  of  which  claimed  the 
true  ideal.  Justin  Martyr  in  the  earliest  record  preserved 
spoke  of  Jesus  as  being  “without  beauty,”  finding  justifica¬ 
tion  for  this  opinion  in  certain  Old  Testament  passages. 
Somewhat  later  Clement  of  Alexandria  expressed  the  opinion 
that  Jesus  must  have  been  “unlovely  in  the  flesh.”  The 
brilliant  Tertullian  advanced  the  extreme  view  that  Jesus 
was  “not  even  in  his  aspect  comely.”  This  general  opinion 
of  the  unattractiveness  of  Jesus  was  based  upon  a  narrow 
and  literal  interpretation  of  the  prophetic  forecast:  “he  hath 
no  form  nor  comeliness;  and  when  we  see  him,  there  is  no 
beauty  that  we  should  desire  him.”  1  Among  this  group  of 
scholars  also  belonged  Basil  and  Cyril  of  Alexandria.  The 
other  side  of  the  question  contended  for  the  personal  beauty 
of  Jesus,  but  did  not  draw  definite  portraits,  declaring  him 
to  be  “fairer  than  the  sons  of  men.”  Holding  this  view 
were  Jerome,  Augustine,  Ambrose,  and  Chrysostom. 

It  seems  best  to  admit  that  we  can  not  restore  the  original 
picture  of  Jesus.  But  it  is  not  presumption  to  suppose  that 
his  face  reflected  the  nobility  of  his  character,  wThich  con¬ 
served  the  best  in  human  life  and  incarnated  the  divine 
goodness.  While  the  Gospels  do  not  mention  form  and 
feature,  they  present  Jesus  as  the  one  to  whom  men  naturally 

and  irresistiblv  were  drawn.  In  his  face  must  have  been 
« / 

mirrored  the  heart’s  graces,  since  the  soul  ordinarily  leaves 
its  character  marks  upon  the  countenance.  The  artists  have 
brought  their  genius  to  create  an  ideal  face  for  Jesus,  and 
yet  one  does  not  find  complete  satisfaction  with  any  one  of 
these;  something  in  one’s  thought  of  the  Master  is  always 
omitted  from  the  canvas.  Modern  artists  have  generally 
painted  Jesus  with  the  full  beard  in  conformity  with  the 
Jewish  custom.  Among  the  Jews  long  hair  was  regarded  as 

1  Is.  53:  2. 


THE  PERSONAL-DELIVERY  ELEMENT 


139 


a  disgrace  except  for  the  man  under  the  Nazarite  vow.  The 
three  essential  duties  of  this  vow  were  to  abstain  from  all 
products  of  the  grape,  to  refrain  from  the  touch  of  the  dead, 
and  to  wear  long  hair,  the  vow  usually  being  for  a  definite 
period  though  applicable  to  life.  Jesus  certainly  did  not 
observe  the  first  two  restrictions,  and  there  does  not  seem 
sufficient  reason  for  following  the  artistic  habit  of  thinking 
of  Jesus  with  long  hair.  The  Gospels  do  not  suggest  the 
complexion  of  Jesus,  and  in  this  regard  variety  obtains 
among  the  writers  and  artists  in  their  opinions. 

II.  Jesus’  Homiletical  Attitude 

1.  POSTURE. — The  Oriental  preferred  the  sitting  posi¬ 
tion  for  the  public  speaker.  Among  the  many  given  exam¬ 
ples  of  this  custom  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  may  be  cited  a 
few  cases.  He  sat  to  deliver  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the 
sermon  in  the  Nazareth  synagogue,  the  Table  Talks,  the 
conversation  with  the  woman  at  Jacob’s  well,  the  seaside 
parables,  and  the  talk  with  Nicodemus.  Another  posture 
for  preaching  came  from  Jesus’  habit  to  speak  to  the  open- 
air  congregations.  He  went  through  all  parts  of  the  Holy 
Land,  giving  his  best  thoughts  upon  dusty  roads  or  in  ripen¬ 
ing  grain  fields;  walking  or  standing  he  spoke  freely  his 
message  from  the  Father. 

Associated  with  his  formal  preaching  was  Jesus’  method 
of  prayer.  The  custom  called  for  the  public  prayer  to  be 
offered  while  standing  and  the  private  devotions  while  kneel¬ 
ing  or  prostrating  the  body  on  the  face.  In  Gethsemane 
“he  went  forward  a  little,  and  fell  on  the  ground,  and 
prayed.”  1  Several  instances  are  given  in  the  Gospels  of  his 
standing  for  public  prayer. 

2.  MOVEMENTS. — In  this  word  are  to  be  included  those 


1  Mk.  14:35. 


140 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


helps  to  the  speaker  that  come  from  gestures,  general  move¬ 
ments  of  the  body,  and  tones  of  the  voice.  The  Gospels  do 
not  tell  anything  definitely  about  the  homiletical  aspect  of 
the  voice  of  Jesus.  However,  certain  inferences  are  justly 
made.  The  people  wondered  that  he  so  far  departed  from 
the  accredited  method  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  as  to 
teach  “as  one  having  authority.”  This  impression  of 
superiority  was  not  alone  due  to  Jesus’  depth  and  dignity  of 
themes  but  also  to  the  regal  splendor  of  his  voice,  whose  tones 
bore  the  conviction  of  the  King,  while  the  hypocrisy  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees  could  not  fail  to  give  the  voice  the 
hollow  ring  of  the  clanging  cymbal. 

Depth  and  purity  of  discourse  combined  with  impressive¬ 
ness  of  utterance  impelled  the  officers  sent  to  arrest  Jesus  to 
return  the  report,  “Never  man  so  spake.”  1  The  calm  assur¬ 
ance  of  the  worth  of  his  message,  the  intimate  knowledge  of 
human  nature  and  thoughts,  the  complete  self-surrender  to 
his  mission  of  Saviourhood,  and  the  dignity  of  his  sinless  life 
must  have  lent  themselves  to  the  tone  of  his  voice.  He  spoke 
loudly  enough  to  be  heard  by  his  immediate  audiences;  the 
Oriental  demand  did  not  reach  the  modern  oratorical  duty 
of  addressing  immense  congregations.  In  speaking  to  the 
great  crowds  Jesus  remained  true  to  his  Oriental,  conversa¬ 
tional  style. 

The  ministry  of  healing  and  benediction  was  so  connected 
with  the  ministry  of  word  as  to  call  here  for  brief  notice.  He 
took  the  hand  of  the  beneficiary  in  the  healing  of  Peter’s 
wife’s  mother,  Jairus’  daughter,  and  the  demoniac  lad  at  the 
foot  of  the  mount  after  the  Transfiguration.  He  stretched 
forth  his  hand  to  touch  the  leper,  the  two  blind  men,  two 
other  blind  men  at  Jericho,  the  bier  of  the  dead  son  of  the 
widow  of  Nain,  the  woman  with  the  eighteen-year  infirmity, 

1  Jn.  7 :  46. 


THE  PERSONAL-DELIVERY  ELEMENT 


141 


the  dropsical  man,  Malchus,  the  man  born  blind,  and  multi¬ 
tudes  afflicted  in  various  ways.  With  his  hand  he  blessed  lit¬ 
tle  children  brought  by  many  mothers,  and  at  another  time  a 
little  child.  He  offered  thanks  for  the  meal  with  hand  up¬ 
lifted  in  the  cases  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  the 
Memorial  Supper,  and  after  his  resurrection  the  meal  with 
his  disciples  behind  barred  doors. 

These  touches  of  healing  and  blessing  have  real  homiletical 
value,  since  they  brought  the  Preacher  nearer  the  people  to 
be  benefited.  He  demonstrated  his  readiness  to  help  them 
even  though  it  led  him  to  physical  dangers  and  intimacy  with 
the  unfortunates.  He  was  inseparably  associated  with  the 
people,  who  would  contrast  his  attitude  with  that  of  the 
Pharisees,  who  must  resort  to  their  baths  after  contact  with 
the  sick,  the  dead,  or  even  persons  of  common  degrees  of 
culture  and  social  standing.  The  marvellous  Preacher  hum¬ 
bled  himself  to  the  forms  of  life  of  his  audience  in  order 
that  he  might  reach  them  with  his  truths.  His  gentle  touch 
sent  the  thrill  of  hope  and  companionship  into  the  hearts  of 
those  who  had  been  accustomed  only  to  disdain  and  avoid¬ 
ance  on  the  part  of  their  religious  guides. 

Jesus’  movements  in  preaching  included  the  movement  of 
the  eyes  and  the  gestures  of  the  hand.  The  raised  hand  was 
a  favorite  gesture  with  Jesus,  as  with  most  public  speakers  of 
all  ages.  When  his  family  came  to  bring  him  from  the 
crowded  house  in  Capernaum,  “he  stretched  forth  his  hand 
towards  his  disciples,  and  said.”  1  The  uplifted  hand  is 
attractive,  authoritative,  and  quieting.  Jesus  used  it  ef¬ 
fectively.  In  the  spurious  passage  about  the  woman  taken 
in  adultery,  which  is  probably  a  true  tradition,  he  is  repre¬ 
sented  as  writing  upon  the  ground.2 

Four  times  the  Gospels  mention  that  Jesus  looked  up  to 
1  Mt.  12:  49.  2jn.  8:8. 


142 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


heaven  and  uttered  words  of  command  or  prayer.1  Eight 
times  he  looked  upon  certain  people  for  homiletical  ends.2 
These  movements  of  the  eye  Tvere  very  impressive,  the  eye 
being  a  great  aid  to  the  speaker.  The  eye  of  Jesus  reached 
the  heart,  ran  through  the  conscience,  and  stirred  the  man  to 
action.  With  righteous  and  justifiable  anger  he  often  looked 
upon  the  crowds,  who  could  not  escape  his  withering  censure. 
The  Apostle  Peter  went  forth  from  the  place  of  Judgment 
to  weep  bitter  tears  of  repentance  and  remorse,  because  the 
eye  of  his  accused  Master  turned  to  him  when  the  cock 
recalled  the  prophecy  of  Peter’s  denial  and  Jesus’  concern 
for  him. 

Movements  of  grief  and  emotion  were  made  by  Jesus.  He 

sighed  at  signs  of  unbelief,  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  his 

own  betrayal  and  crucifixion,  and  wTept  at  the  grave  of 

Lazarus.  A  large  place  in  the  homiletics  of  Jesus  was  filled 

by  these  movements  of  his  body  in  harmony  with  his  own 

emotions  and  to  give  proper  emphasis  to  his  message.  Jesus 

made  all  life  to  contribute  to  his  ministrv. 

%/ 

1  Mk.  6:41;  7:  S4;  Jn.  11:41;  17:  1. 

2  Mk.  3:5;  3:34;  8:33;  10:21;  10:27;  Lk.  6:20;  20:17;  22:61. 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  JESUS  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


The  Gospels  furnish  meagre  but  suggestive  data  for  an 
outline  study  of  the  psychology  of  Jesus  as  exhibited  in  his 
preaching.  Preaching  is  self-interpretative  as  well  as  de¬ 
clarative  of  a  standard  of  truth.  Back  of  the  message  is  the 
man.  One  could  desire  a  larger  amount  of  material  for  the 
sources  for  such  a  study,  but  a  proper  handling  of  the  present 
information  will  afford  useful  results. 

The  incarnation  brought  Jesus  within  the  laws  of  hu¬ 
manity.  Though  he  may  transcend  these  laws  and  direct 
them  with  a  divine  prerogative,  he  can  not  entirely  escape 
from  them.  This  fact  permits  a  study  of  his  inner  life 
through  his  words  and  deeds.  A  complete  justification  of 
the  attempt  to  reach  behind  the  external  to  the  inner  life  of 
Jesus  might  easily  be  found  in  the  honored  biographies  of  the 
world’s  heroes,  whose  real  and  dominant  value  lay  rather  in 
the  life  within  than  in  their  great  words  and  deeds.  Jesus 
himself  is  infinitely  more  than  his  preaching.  A  reverent 
study  of  his  soul’s  activities  should  not  be  debarred. 

I.  His  Consciousness 

1.  OF  UNION  OF  HUMAN  AND  DIVINE.— Theology 
has  waged  a  long  and  bitter  warfare  over  the  statement  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  person  of  Christ.  Anathemas,  revilings,  and 
persecutions  have  been  exchanged  between  the  several  sides. 
According  to  the  Fourth  Gospel  “the  Word  was  God”  and 

143 


144 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


“the  Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us.”  1  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  the  union  of  God  and  man,  the  forces  of  both 
natures  localizing  in  him  and  forming  essential  modes  of  his 
earthly  activity.  Our  limping  speech  fails  to  bring  a  satis¬ 
factory  statement  of  the  mystery.  We  say  that  he  combined 
two  persons  in  the  one,  and  feel  that  we  have  but  confused 
the  fact  by  the  declaration. 

Whatever  Christology  one  may  find  personally  acceptable, 
one  must  accept  as  incontestable  the  fact  that  the  Gospels 
present  Jesus’  consciousness  as  a  unity.  Attempts  to  divide 
his  consciousness,  the  primary  fact  of  existence,  and  to  refer 
certain  experiences  to  the  human  or  to  the  divine  elements,  do 
not  find  support  in  the  sources  of  his  life.  The  propriety  of 
such  efforts  might  well  be  challenged  upon  biblical  and 
philosophical  grounds. 

Jesus  did  not  live  a  double  life.  Full  humanity  and  full 
divinity  entered  into  each  fact  of  his  life,  even  though  our 
frail  understanding  may  not  be  able  to  discover  the  method. 
He  is  not  represented  in  the  Gospels  as  having  two  wills,  two 
intellects,  two  centres  of  emotion.  His  incarnation  would 
have  been  but  a  figment,  if  he  had  come  with  the  double 
personality  as  God  and  man;  he  was  the  God-man,  whose 
uniqueness  lay  in  the  fact  of  the  unity  of  both  characters. 
He  was  all  that  man  could  be  in  earthly  conditions  and  all 
that  God  could  be  in  human  limitations.  There  may  be 
certain  features  of  his  life  that  seem  to  indicate  the  pre¬ 
dominance  of  either  element,  but  all  the  being  of  Jesus  en¬ 
tered  into  the  experience.  The  psychology  of  Jesus  must 
be  true  to  other  results  of  study  in  so  far  as  he  enters  the 
common  category  of  human  life.  The  fundamental  assump¬ 
tion  must  grant  the  undivided  inner  life. 

2.  OF  MESSIANIC  VOCATION. — Jesus  was  aware  of  his 

i  Jn.  1: 1,  14. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


145 


vocation  as  the  Messiah.  Scholars  seem  to  be  hopelessly 
apart  in  their  opinions  as  to  the  time  when  Jesus  realized  his 
Messianic  mission.  Already  at  his  first  visit  to  Jerusalem  in 
youth  he  had  come  into  the  conviction  of  a  special  relation 
of  his  life  to  the  house  or  business  of  his  Father.  His  baptism 
and  temptations,  whatever  they  may  have  added  by  way  of 
confirmation  of  his  experience  and  conviction  of  his  Messianic 
calling,  could  have  been  so  gloriously  victorious  only  upon 
the  prior  Messianic  consciousness.  His  public  ministry  was 
entered  with  the  full  belief  that  he  was  the  anointed  of  the 
Lord,  God’s  Son  to  whom  the  message  of  redemption  had 
been  committed  both  to  deliver  and  to  make  effective  through 
his  work  and  death. 

My  own  conviction  is  that  Jesus  came  gradually  into  the 
full  recognition  of  his  Messianic  vocation;  his  inner  life, 
indicated  in  the  sources,  kept  in  tune  with  his  holy  mission, 
the  record  applying  to  both  series  of  facts:  ‘‘And  Jesus  ad¬ 
vanced  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and 
men.”  1 

His  Messianic  consciousness  was  distinct,  complete,  and 
ethical.  He  declared  to  Satan,  immediately  after  his  baptism, 
that  his  kingdom  was  not  to  be  worldly  in  power  and  posses¬ 
sions.  And  yet  there  was  to  be  a  kingdom.  Early  in  his 
ministry  he  gave  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  Manifesto  of 
the  Kingdom,  outlining  a  partial  program  of  principles.  He 
preferred  to  keep  his  Messianic  mission  in  the  background 
of  his  preaching  at  first,  for  public  and  repeated  announce¬ 
ments  would  have  precipitated  a  popular  uprising  in  his 
favor  and  a  bitter  attack  from  his  foes.  But  this  fact  does 
not  mean  that  Jesus,  himself,  did  not  know  his  mission;  he 
knew  and  chose  wisely  to  plan  for  the  far-away  end. 

It  is  true  that  after  he  had  drawn  from  Simon  Peter  the 


10 


1  Lk.  2:52. 


146 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


confession  at  Caesarea  Philippi  his  own  references  to  his 
Messiahship  were  more  open  and  frequent,  but  this  is  not  to 
suggest  that  in  his  own  mind  this  consciousness  was  new 
or  even  more  distinct.  The  declaration  of  his  Saviourhood 
was  inseparable  from  his  Messianic  consciousness.  He  knew 
himself  to  be  the  Saviour-Messiah. 

II.  General  Characteristics 

1.  OBSERVANT. — The  psychology  of  Jesus  may  first  be 
studied  through  a  fewT  general  characteristics,  of  which  we 
mention  that  of  observation.  It  is  not  with  unholy  desire 
that  we  enter  this  study,  nor  is  it  an  attempt  to  analyze 
divinity;  it  seeks  to  learn  the  inner  processes  of  incarnated 
divinity. 

Jesus  was  observant.  He  was  a  keen  watcher  of  the 
stirring  life  around  him.  The  merry  dancing,  the  laughter 
of  the  playing  children,  the  monotonous  task  of  the  grinding 
women,  the  generous  gift  of  the  poor  wddow,  and  the  office 
of  the  tax-gatherer  all  entered  his  range  of  sight  and  served 
his  homiletical  purposes.  Customs,  habits,  laws,  current 
events,  and  accidents  came  under  his  notice  and  wTere  made 
to  contribute  to  his  message.  He  remembered  that  his  people 
had  a  wonderful  history  and  a  sacred  literature,  so  that  he 
familiarly  mentioned  David,  Zachariah,  Moses,  and  the  laws 
of  Israel.  His  mind  was  alert,  his  supreme  interest  in  human 
affairs  compelling  his  constant  attention  to  the  details  of  life 
governed  by  sordid  aims,  base  ambitions,  hopeless  drudgery, 
and  holy  aspirations.  All  phases  of  conditions  passed  in  re¬ 
view  before  him. 

2.  WELL  BALANCED. — Jesus  perfected  the  relations  of 
the  forces  and  expressions  of  the  intellect,  the  emotions,  and 
the  will.  His  was  an  unusual  equipoise,  accenting  the  com¬ 
mon  predominance  of  one  element  in  persons  of  ordinary  and 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


147 


extraordinary  ability.  His  intellect  did  not  so  master  his 
attitude  toward  the  problems  of  life  that  he  could  not  respond 
to  other  emotional  and  volitional  stimuli,  nor  did  these  other 
two  factors  of  experience  usurp  places  belonging  to  another 
factor.  He  was  intensely  emotional.  He  was  “moved  with 
compassion,”  “  Jesus  wept,”  he  looked  upon  his  audience 
“with  anger,  being  grieved  at  the  hardening  of  their  hearts,” 
but  he  did  not  allowT  his  emotions  to  disturb  that  serenity  of 
purpose  and  thought  that  confirmed  his  claim  to  be  the  way 
of  truth. 

Imaginative  and  idealistic  in  his  outlook  upon  the  world, 
he  did  not  permit  his  idealism  to  neglect  or  misinterpret  the 
fact  that  men  lived  under  the  stern  necessities  and  burdens 
of  sense  and  sin.  His  mind  dealt  with  the  unseen,  eternal 
verities,  but  he  mingled  freely  and  sympathetically  with  men 
who  were  moved  by  considerations,  sordid  greed  and  con¬ 
suming  selfishness;  to  these  he  brought  a  message  of  holy 
aims  and  altruistic  service.  His  idealism  was  corrected  by 
his  practical  good  judgment.  He  fulminated  his  cutting 
rebukes  and  woes  against  the  spirit  of  Pharisaism,  and  yet 
his  perfect  poise  of  disposition  enabled  him  to  be  tender  and 
gracious  toward  those  troubled  and  penitent.  Plis  character 
functioned  harmoniously.  Conditions  of  success  or  opposi¬ 
tion  did  not  warp  his  intentions. 

3.  REVERENT. — The  mental  attitude  of  Jesus  was  rever¬ 
ent  toward  sacred  themes.  He  never  treated  lightly  the 
truths  that  he  came  to  reveal  or  attest  as  the  supreme  need 
for  men.  He  was  ever  conscious  of  his  authority  to  speak  the 
final  word  upon  social  life,  the  mutual  relations  of  men  in 
civic  communities,  and  the  fellowship  of  men  with  God.  His 
own  personal  embodiment  of  truth  would  naturally  have 
prevented  any  slur  of  natural  or  revealed  truths.  In  his 
prayer  life  he  manifested  only  a  worthy  example  of  respect, 


148 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


never  bordering  upon  superlative  intimacy.  The  profoundest 
themes  of  human  thought  were  his  daily  companions,  but  he 
did  not  lower  their  dignity  and  worth  through  light  treat¬ 
ment.  His  reverence  was  that  of  a  completed  view  of 
truth. 

4.  SINLESS. — The  mental  attitude  of  Jesus  was  further 
designated  by  the  negative  trait  of  sinlessness.  This  fact 
must  enter  a  study  of  the  mental  as  well  as  the  spiritual  forces 
of  his  life.  Sin  will  vitiate  the  thought-processes.  The  history 
of  thought  has  not  produced  another  person  who  has  been 
free  from  this  sinful  impediment.  Intellect  has  its  judgments 
misplaced,  emotions  fail  in  purity,  and  the  will  directs  actions 
of  harm  and  baseness,  because  the  powTer  of  sin  is  felt  in  the 
life.  Jesus  escaped  these  faults. 

5.  UNCONDITIONAL. — The  mind  of  Jesus  was  uncon¬ 
ditional  in  its  processes.  With  him  there  wrere  no  ifs.  He 
gave  his  expectant  disciples  certain  conditions  to  be  fulfilled 
for  discipleship,  but  in  his  own  thought-processes  there  were 
no  contingencies  or  conditions.  He  was  absolute  in  his 
method.  His  preaching  was  not  dependent  upon  events  for 
his  own  basal  attitude  nor  for  his  owm  perception  of  his 
message,  although  he  accepted  events  as  the  occasions  for 
delivery  of  his  truths.  Pilgrims  toward  perfected  mentality 
must  often  stand  at  the  cross-roads  to  study  the  signboards, 
and  too  often  they  discover  that  they  have  journeyed  the  wrong 
road.  With  Jesus  there  "was  no  doubtful  course;  he  saw  to 
the  end  of  the  wray;  his  inner  life  was  not  subject  to  the  fear 
of  the  accidental. 

6.  NON-CRITICAL. — The  mind  of  Jesus  was  non-critical. 
He  wras  not  primarily  a  critic.  His  ministry  naturally  aroused 
the  enmity  of  the  religious  leaders,  and  he  severely  criticised 
their  errors  and  hypocrisy.  His  philippics  were  incidental 
to  the  needs  of  his  audiences  rather  than  descriptive  of  his 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


149 


mental  habits.  He  was  constructive,  fulfilment  being  prefer¬ 
able  to  destruction  of  truth. 

This  trait  of  mind  has  frequently  been  cited  as  bearing  upon 
the  questions  of  literary  criticism  of  the  Bible.  It  is  claimed 
by  certain  scholars  that  Jesus  was  not  competent  to  know 
the  authorship  of  the  Old  Testament  beyond  the  current 
opinions  of  his  day,  and  that  he  did  not  deal  in  critical  ques¬ 
tions. 

Space  limits  will  allow  here  only  the  expression  of  a 
personal  conviction  of  Jesus’  ability  to  speak  with  authority 
upon  any  subject  mentioned  in  his  preaching. 

III.  His  Intellectual  Life 

1.  IMAGINATION. — Imagination  is  the  soul’s  prophet, 
and  the  creator  of  new  conditions.  Referable  to  this  power 
are  the  day-dreams  that  find  reality  in  inventions,  renascence 
in  literature,  and  reformations  in  religion,  for  genius,  poet, 
and  seer  have  the  common  vision  from  imagination  while  the 
objects  differ  respectively.  The  religious  function  of  the 
imagination  is  more  widely  recognized  to-day  than  ever  before. 
Through  the  imagination  one  may  forecast  conditions  and 
plan  for  their  attainment;  through  it  the  pioneer  work  of 
blazing  the  trail  of  thought  is  to  be  done. 

Jesus  had  this  power  highly  sensitized  and  developed. 
His  imagination  was  dramatic  in  its  concepts  and  manifes¬ 
tations.  The  dramatic  moment,  when  the  interest  of  the 
occasion  culminated,  never  failed  to  appear  to  him,  the  fitting 
word  and  deed  being  supplied.  He  saw  the  multitude  as 
sheep  without  a  shepherd.  When  the  Seventy  brought  to  him 
the  glad  report  of  their  successful  mission,  sickness  and 
demons  being  subject  to  their  commands,  Jesus  “said  unto 
them,  I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning  from  heaven.”  This 
was  the  gift  of  his  grand  imagination,  in  vividness  and  dra- 


150 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


matic  force  far  excelling  the  vision  of  the  blind  bard  of 
Paradise  Lost. 

His  imagination  was  also  pictorial.  This  is  a  common  and 
essential  quality  of  imagination,  but  with  Jesus  it  was  more 
than  ordinarily  pronounced  and  cultivated.  His  words  were 
rich  in  artistic  tone  and  color.  New  purposes  were  given  to 
old  rhetorical  forms  as  parable,  aphorism,  proverb,  and 
illustration  felt  the  grace  of  his  imagination. 

But  Jesus  was  not  an  idle  dreamer  without  definite  and 
substantial  force  in  the  world  of  facts.  His  imagination  was 
eminently  practical.  He  could  gather  up  the  images  of  the 
everyday  commonplaces,  because  he  saw  how  to  transfuse 
and  transform  them.  He  externalized  his  imagination  in 
deeds  of  service.  xAfter  the  vision  comes  the  duty. 

2.  CONCRETENESS. — The  intellectual  life  of  Jesus  dealt 
in  concrete  objects.  It  lay  within  his  power  to  think  ab¬ 
struse  truths,  but  he  preferred  to  cite  examples,  actual  or 
created.  The  students  of  his  day  might  have  listened  with 
some  interest  to  difficult  and  abstruse  dissertations,  but  Jesus 
chose  to  win  the  ear  and  the  heart  of  the  common  people  by 
his  objectified  truths.  He  himself  was  the  concretion  of  God, 
and  so  delivered  his  message  as  to  put  God  into  concrete 
touch  with  men. 

3.  INTUITION. — The  intellect  of  Jesus  wTas  largely  in¬ 
tuitive  in  its  reception  of  truth.  The  astonished  leaders 
could  not  fathom  the  mystery  of  his  thought-processes. 
“The  Jews  therefore  marvelled,  saying,  How  knoweth  this 
man  letters,  having  never  learned  ?  Jesus  therefore  answered 
them,  and  said,  My  teaching  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent 
me.”  1  The  implication  of  his  reply  is  that  Jesus  came  to 
his  understanding  of  truth  of  a  superhuman  origin  through 
a  special  manner  beyond  the  ordinary.  He  could  read  the 

i  Jn.  7: 15. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


151 


thoughts  of  his  companions  and  even  his  foes.  When  the 
tide  of  favor  was  toward  him,  he  did  not  feel  over-exalted. 
“  But  Jesus  did  not  trust  himself  unto  them,  for  that  he  knew 
all  men,  and  because  he  needed  not  that  anv  one  should  bear 
witness  concerning  man;  for  he  himself  knew  what  was  in 
man.”  1  In  his  own  mental  acquisition  the  time  element  and 
the  sequence  of  events  were  not  factors.  He  knew  things 
directly  and  immediately.  He  might  use  arguments  to  con¬ 
vince  his  audiences  that  his  message  was  divinely  appointed, 
but  he  did  not  need  to  argue  himself  into  beliefs  and  their 
convictions. 

The  Gospels  do  not  furnish  evidence  to  show  that  Jesus 
grew  in  knowledge  after  the  beginning  of  his  public  life. 
His  ministry  was  full  of  wisdom  at  its  beginning.  He  knew 
how  and  what,  because  he  was  what  he  was.  Christology 
explains  his  epistemology.  The  two  are  mutually  dependent. 
A  suggestion  of  his  method  of  knowledge  may  be  found  in  the 
general  human  endowment  of  intuitive,  or  pure,  truths  of 
time  and  space,  cause  and  effect,  which  require  no  effort  to 
acquire. 

4.  POSITIVENESS.— -A  further  mental  characteristic  of 
Jesus  was  positiveness.  Absolute  certainty  attached  to  his 
words  and  opinions.  He  himself  believed  in  their  trust¬ 
worthiness  and  value.  Waverings  of  uncertainty,  shadows  of 
doubt,  and  anxiety  regarding  the  contingent  did  not  enter 
his  mind.  His  preaching  was  positive  and  constructive.  He 
did  not  wander  into  the  by-ways  of  knowledge;  his  was  the 
plain  path  of  certainty. 

5.  LIMITATION. — Incarnation  had  its  companion  mys¬ 
tery  of  earthly  humiliation.  The  kenosis  of  the  Son  of  God 
was  a  part  of  his  task  of  Saviourhood.  Theology  and  phi¬ 
losophy  have  tried  to  fix  the  method  and  limits  of  this  subordi- 

i  Jn.  2:24,  25, 


152 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


nation,  but  still  the  scholars  seem  dissatisfied  with  theories. 
The  problem  may  be  beyond  our  ken.  However,  Jesus 
suggested  one  topic  upon  which  he  declared  his  own  limita¬ 
tion.  The  end  of  the  world  was  predicted  and  the  endurance 
of  his  own  words  assured  to  his  disciples :  “  But  of  that  day  or 
that  hour  knoweth  no  one,  not  even  the  angels  in  heaven, 
neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father/’  1  With  a  desire  to  detract 
from  his  honor  and  to  reduce  him  toward  the  common  human 
standard,  certain  critics  have  sought  to  use  this  acknowledg¬ 
ment  of  ignorance  as  confirmatory  of  their  contention  that 
his  wisdom  was  indeed  great  but  not  supreme  and  super¬ 
human.  Speculation  here  might  be  inviting  to  the  student, 
but  it  would  hardly  be  profitable  to  the  reader.  The  records 
of  his  ministry  do  not  suggest  that  Jesus  was  at  all  conscious 
of  limitations  in  his  knowledge,  nor  do  they  show  mistakes 
of  judgment  and  teaching. 

It  has  become  fashionable  in  certain  scholarly  circles  to  cast 
reflections  upon  the  preaching  of  Jesus  as  erroneous,  but  no 
certain  error  has  yet  been  established.  His  vision  of  truth 
was  clear.  Later  scientific  and  historical  studies  have  con¬ 
firmed  his  incidental  mention  of  facts  of  nature  and  history. 
Many  subjects  were  not  discussed  by  Jesus,  for  his  purpose 
did  not  include  these  and  his  age  would  not  have  understood 
him  if  he  had  spoken  in  the  language  of  historical  dis¬ 
coveries. 

But  even  this  is  not  to  admit  that  Jesus  did  not  know  the 
world  and  its  laws.  The  Prologue  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
assigns  him  the  place  of  creator;  if  creator,  then  surely  he 
was  conversant  with  the  present  order.  One  must  here  bare 
the  head  in  the  company  of  this  great  mystery,  and  be  content 
to  know  that  human  thought  itself  has  its  limits.  Reverence 
and  humility  become  the  student. 

i  Mk.  13:  32. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


153 


IV.  His  Emotional  Lite 

1.  BASAL  SPECIMENS.— According  to  the  modern  ter¬ 
minology  we  study  the  inner  life  of  Jesus  under  the  three¬ 
fold  analysis  of  intellect,  emotion,  and  will.  These  are  not 
distinct  compartments  of  the  person,  but  rather  features  of 
the  soul’s  functioning  along  these  traits.  A  few  basal  emotions 
of  Jesus  may  here  enter  our  review,  for  a  full  survey  would 
require  much  space  and  discussion. 

The  Lover  of  Men. — Jesus  was  an  ideal  lover  of  men.  At 
the  tomb  of  Lazarus  the  tears  of  Jesus  called  forth  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  the  crowd :  “  The  Jews  therefore  said,  Behold  how  he 
loved  him!”  1  The  promise  came  to  the  faithful  disciple  of 
trust  and  companionship  thus:  “  I  wdll  love  him  and  will  man¬ 
ifest  myself  unto  him.”  2  The  fulness  of  love  could  be  meas¬ 
ured  only  by  the  divine  capacity,  and  yet  Jesus  could  say  to 
his  followers,  “Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  I  also  have 
loved  you !”  3  The  Father  had  demonstrated  his  love  in  the  act 
of  the  incarnation,  for  he  “gave  his  only-begotten  Son,”  and 
Jesus  came  to  complete  the  divine  approval  of  the  self-giving 
of  love,  declaring  thus  the  summary  of  greatness:  “Greater 
love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for 
his  friends.”  4  His  own  self-sacrifice  included  in  its  benefits 
his  enemies. 

His  love  was  benevolent,  not  requiring  a  lovable  object 
to  arouse  it,  for  he  loved  a  world  of  unlovable  sinners.  His 
love  was  also  beneficent,  expressing  itself  in  practical  service 
of  sin’s  expiation  for  its  objects.  It  did  not  degenerate  into 
sentimentalism.  His  love  was  judicial  and  mandatory. 
It  did  not  abrogate  the  need  that  men  should  love  God;  it 
rather  gave  accent  and  direction  to  this  purpose,  while  supply- 


i  Jn.  11:36. 
3  Jn.  15:  9. 


2  Jn.  14:21. 
4  Jn.  15:  13. 


154 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


ing  through  himself  the  agent  of  communication  between 
God  and  the  lover. 

In  return  for  his  own  initial  affection  Jesus  demanded  the 
love  of  all  who  would  have  fellowship  with  himself  and  the 
Father.  The  divine  standard  was  not  lowered  to  a  shallow 
sentimentality  that  would  secure  the  divine  love  as  the 
preventive  and  guarantee  against  individual  punishment  for 
sins.  The  love  of  Jesus  and  God,  according  to  Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing,  would  not  prevent  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  impenitent 
and  the  disobedient.  The  young  man  of  moral  integrity  and 
legal  holiness  sought  to  know  from  the  Preacher  the  way  to 
secure  eternal  life.  “And  Jesus  looking  upon  him  loved 
him.”  1  But  it  is  significant  of  Jesus’  high  regard  for  the  ethical 
returns  of  love  that  he  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  to  the  in¬ 
quirer  that  he  yet  failed  in  the  remaining,  single  essential.  It 
would  have  been  easy  to  slur  over  this  one  fault,  negative 
and  unnoticed,  but  Jesus,  the  World’s  Lover  and  Benefactor, 
could  not  do  violence  thus  to  God’s  method  of  redemption. 

The  Man  of  Sorrows. — The  Gospels  exhibit  the  Man  of 
Sorrows  in  the  lowly  Nazarene.  The  prophetic  outline  was 
realized  in  him*  “He  was  despised,  and  rejected  of  men;  a 
man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief.”  2  He  put  his 
own  heart  of  compassion  beside  the  world’s  heart  of  sorrow 
and  sadness;  the  fellowship  was  complete  and  it  directed  the 
Preacher’s  ministry.  He  entered  the  homes  of  poverty,  dis¬ 
tress,  and  suffering,  physical  infirmities  appealing  to  him  for 
relief  and  spiritual  frailties  calling  for  his  forgiveness  and 
hope.  He  illustrated  the  truth 

“That  the  mark  of  rank  in  nature 
Is  capacity  for  pain, 

That  the  anguish  of  the  singer 

Makes  the  sweetness  of  the  strain.” 

1  Mk.  10:21. 


2  Is.  53:3. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


155 


But  Jesus  came  closer  to  sorrow  than  mere  fellowship. 
He  felt  it  in  his  own  inner  life.  Omitting  the  physical  suffer¬ 
ings  of  his  death,  the  Gospels  use  nine  distinct  words,  in  as 
many  historical  situations,  to  describe  his  emotion  of  sorrow 
in  its  various  shades.  These  references  may  be  grouped. 
In  healing  the  man  with  dull  ears  and  an  impediment  of 
speech,  “  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  sighed,  and  saith  unto 
him,  Ephphatha,  that  is,  Be  opened. ”  1  He  sighed  or  groaned 
audibly  as  an  expression  of  sympathetic  grief  at  the  man’s 
misfortune  or  in  intercessory  prayer  in  his  behalf.  The  same 
word  with  a  prefix  is  used  to  describe  a  deeper  and  intenser 
emotion  when  the  demand  for  a  sign  was  made:  “And  he 
sighed  deeply  in  his  spirit,  and  saith,  Why  doth  this  generation 
seek  a  sign?”  2  Unbelief,  unwilling  to  accept  the  testimony 
of  a  noble  life  and  an  unselfish  ministrv  of  miracles,  and 
demanding  visible  and  suggested  externals  as  credentials, 
brought  to  Jesus  this  emotion.  Jesus  was  troubled  at  the 
sight  of  the  weeping  and  distressed  family  at  the  tomb  of  the 
brother  Lazarus.  3 

The  deepening  earth-shadows  of  the  Gethsemane  Garden 
were  but  the  adumbration  of  his  soul’s  experience.  He  had 
not  long  entered  the  Garden  before  “he  began  to  be  greatly 
amazed  and  sore  troubled.”  4  Saviourhood  brought  not  only 
its  dignity  of  message  but  the  dignity  of  suffering,  physical 
but  especially  ethical  and  spiritual,  in  behalf  of  the  sinner. 
Sorrowful  5  and  exceeding  sorrowful  6  also  help  to  suggest 
this  participation  in  the  burden-bearing  of  sin,  while  in  the 
Prayer  Jesus  reached  that  summit  of  the  soul  fitly  described 
as  “in  agony.”  7  The  intensity  of  this  emotional  experience 

1  Mk.  7 :  34,  crrevd^u. 

3  Jn.  11 :  33,  rapdircroj 

5Mt.  26:  37,  \v*i «. 

7  Lk.  22:  44,  dyuvLa. 


2  Mk.  8:  12,  avacTTevdfa. 

4  Mt.  26:  37 1 1,  adripovdu. 
6Mt.  26:  S8jj,  irepCKviriu, 


156 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


could  hardly  have  found  more  truthful  record,  though  one 
may  not  perceive  the  full  extent  of  the  experience. 

Twice  his  tears  flowed  in  public;  he  wept  at  the  tomb  of 
Lazarus; 1  his  Triumphal  Entry  into  the  city  of  the  prophets 
was  preceded  by  an  outburst  of  grief:  ‘L4nd  when  he  drew 
nigh  he  saw  the  city  and  wept  over  it.”  2 

The  Joyful  Preacher. — Jesus  was  not  a  misanthrope.  He 
could  share  the  joys  of  men.  His  deeds  of  mercy  in  healing 
the  sick  caused  widespread  rejoicing.  He  freely  accepted  in¬ 
vitations  to  social  functions  where  mirth  and  gladness  were 
intended.  He  did  not  carry  a  forbidding  countenance.  He 
must  have  been  somewhat  gracious  and  attractive,  for  all 
classes  flocked  to  him,  the  children  and  the  weak  feeling 
that  he  was  their  friend.  There  was  no  fear  in  their  hearts. 
Twice  3  he  declared  that  his  joy  was  fulfilled  in  his  disciples. 
Once  it  is  distinctly  stated  that  he  rejoiced,  the  report  of  the 
Seventy  being  the  occasion,  for  “  in  that  same  hour  he 
rejoiced  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  said,  I  thank  thee,  O 
Father.”  4 

Thanksgiving  is  a  part  of  joy.  Jesus  was  quiet  in  his  joy, 
for  his  was  the  rounded  knowledge  of  completed  plans.  He 
wras  conscious  that  his  course  should  definitely  tend  toward 
his  own  desired  end.  He  comprehended  the  relation  of 
truths  and  events,  accidents  being  beyond  his  ken.  Con¬ 
cerning  his  absence,  when  the  hearts  of  the  sisters  yearned 
for  his  healing  touch  for  Lazarus,  he  said,  “I  am  glad  for 
your  sakes  that  I  was  not  there,  to  the  intent  ye  may 
believe.”  5 

The  Angry  Jesus . — Five  times  the  sources  represent  Jesus 
in  anger. 

1  Jn.  11:35,  daxpiju).  2  Lk.  19:41,  x\alio. 

s  Jn.  15: 11;  17: 13.  4  Lk.  10:21. 

5  Jn.  11: 15. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


157 


The  Pharisees  refused  to  answer  his  question  about  heal¬ 
ing  on  the  Sabbath,  when  the  man  with  the  withered  hand 
was  in  the  synagogue;  “and  when  he  had  looked  round 
about  on  them  with  anger,  being  grieved  at  the  hardening  of 
their  heart,  he  saith  unto  the  man.  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.”  1 

“He  was  moved  with  indignation”  2  toward  the  disciples 
because  they  hindered  the  children  who  came  to  him  for  a 
benediction  and  touch  of  the  hand. 

In  two  other  cases  the  word  means  strictly  charged,  or  in 
sternness.  He  had  healed  a  leper  and  two  blind  men,  and 
gave  his  command  for  silence  about  the  miracle  so  sharply 
as  to  border  on  anger,  but  this  severity  did  not  prevent  their 
disobedience.3 

The  other  case  presents  a  difficulty  of  interpretation.  At 
the  tomb  of  Lazarus  he  was  “groaning  in  himself,”  “he 
groaned  in  the  spirit,”  4  of  which  the  marginal  interpretation 
is  “moved  with  indignation.” 

Jesus  was  evidently  moved  by  just  anger  to  render  three 
judgments — the  two  cleansings  of  the  Temple,  and  the  rebuke 
to  Simon  Peter.5  Jesus’  anger  was  free  from  spite  and  bitter¬ 
ness;  it  was  judicial,  just,  and  timely.  The  wrath  of  God 
was  thus  exhibited  in  that  of  the  Son. 

The  Amazed  Jesus. — Three  times  mention  is  made  of 
the  amazement  of  Jesus.  The  faith  of  the  heathen  centurion 
and  the  second  rejection  at  Nazareth  caused  Jesus  to  marvel.  6 
The  history  of  the  events  of  Gethsemane  may  be  written, 
but  the  human  heart  has  not  fully  seen  its  mystery  and  glory. 
Our  vision  of  the  struggling  Saviour,  who  is  at  the  same  time 
the  Master  Preacher  and  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of 

1  Mk.  3:5. 

3Mt.  9:  30||. 

5  Jn.  2:  13-22;  Mt.  21:  12-17||;  Mt.  16:23. 

6Mt.  8: 10||;  Mk.  6:  6. 


2  Mk.  10:  14. 

4  Jn.  11:33,  38. 


158 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


man,  is  clouded  with  our  earth-born  clouds  of  sin  and  igno¬ 
rance,  so  that  we  can  only  appreciate  the  fringes  of  the  truth. 
“And  he  taketh  with  him  Peter  and  James  and  John,  and 
began  to  be  greatly  amazed,  and  sore  troubled.”  1  A  new 
and  larger  Christology  is  needed  to  explain  this  emotion; 
our  duty  to  homiletics  stops  with  the  indication  of  the  fact. 
With  silent  step  let  us  retreat  from  this  holy  place  while  the 
Preacher  stands  in  wonder  at  the  deeper  and  more  crushing 
acceptance  of  the  burden  of  the  world’s  redemption  through 
his  own  death,  shadows  of  which  had  already  fallen  athwart 
his  path  and  heart. 

2.  INDUCTIONS. — From  these  typical  and  basal  emotions 
of  Jesus  certain  conclusions  may  be  drawn.  The  emotional 
life  of  Jesus  was  humanistic  and  normal  in  so  far  as  it  was 
typical.  He  had  come  into  the  brotherhood  of  a  common 
human  life  to  share  its  joys  and  sorrows  personally  as  well  as 
to  accomplish  its  redemption.  He  was  not  so  far  removed 
from  the  common  human  life  as  to  forbid  the  tie  of  the  same 
emotions  that  stir  the  heart  of  the  man  of  the  streets,  though 
his  own  greatness  was  without  fault  or  flaw.  Jesus  impressed 
his  contemporaries  with  his  normal  emotional  life,  even 
though  the  purity  of  his  life  was  such  as  to  create  constant 
wonder. 

His  emotional  life  was  free  from  baseness.  Herein  lay 
his  uniqueness  and  separation  from  all  other  men.  Sordid¬ 
ness  of  ambition,  selfishness,  the  sin  of  pleasure,  and  disre¬ 
gard  for  others  mar  the  emotional  life  of  all  other  men; 
aspirations  fall  far  short  of  their  high  privilege,  because  men 

are  sinners  and  have  their  aims  alloved  with  evil.  Jesus  did 

•/ 

not  suffer  from  such  defects.  His  emotions  were  pure  and 
simple,  altruistic  and  beneficent.  This  was  true  even  regard¬ 
ing  those  emotions  that  may  cause  men  to  sin,  anger  being 

1  Mk.  14:33. 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


159 


thus  prominent.  He  could  be  angry  and  sin  not,  for  his  was 
the  anger  of  outraged  holiness  and  divine  Sonship.  Gentle, 
self-forgetful,  helpful  and  earnest,  Jesus  followed  the  way  of 
goodness  even  in  the  control  over  his  inner  life.  His  emotions 
never  reached  a  low  level. 

The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  with  emotional  optimism. 
His  interest  in  his  work  never  flagged.  His  look  was  ever  to 
the  future,  in  which  he  would  be  sure  of  success,  though 
the  measure  of  success  might  be  in  terms  of  sacrifice  and  the 
Cross.  The  defection  of  followers  and  the  taunts  and  abuse 
of  foes  did  not  cast  him  into  moods  of  discouragement  and 
despondency.  He  knew  that  his  course  would  lead  through 
difficult  tasks,  but  it  would  be  crowned  at  last.  His  optimism 
conquered  all  barriers.  He  could  not  but  believe  that  his 
mission,  commissioned  of  the  Father  and  empowered  by  the 
Spirit,  would  come  to  its  proper  end.  He  could  not  hesitate 
or  falter.  He  set  his  face  like  flint.  All  authority  was  his; 
heaven  had  lent  her  angelic  servantry  to  his  command.  His 
step  was  forward.  His  heart  was  optimistic.  His  emotions 
were  regal  and  victorious. 

V.  His  Volitional  Life 

1.  MOTIVE. — The  will  of  Jesus  was  obedient  to  the  laws 
of  mental  activity  obtaining  in  other  persons.  The  will  is 
incited  and  directed  to  action  through  motives  which  vary 
greatly  as  to  objects  and  worth.  A  reasonless  deed  is  one 
without  proper  motive.  The  motives  combine  intellectual 
and  emotional  elements,  and  both  express  and  illustrate  char- 
racter.  Jesus  had  his  motive  or  motives  for  any  particular 
act  of  the  will  which  found  external  form,  though  we  may  not 
always  discover  these  motives.  A  study  of  his  motives  would 

V  f / 

be  both  inviting  and  instructive,  for  it  would  show  his  inner 
life  and  promptings  to  duty.  His  motives  were  harmonious 


160 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


with  his  profession.  True  to  his  life-plan,  pure  in  his  de¬ 
signs  and  ambitions,  Jesus  never  entertained  low  motives. 
He  was  high  and  noble  in  his  reasons  for  doing  things.  Sug¬ 
gestions  from  Satan,  that  he  follow  the  lower  road,  were 
consistently  rejected.  Purity  of  thought  and  emotion  found 
a  companion  purity  in  his  will  and  motives. 

2.  SELF-CONTROL. — The  royalty  of  his  will  was  never 
dethroned  in  Jesus’  life.  He  maintained  absolute  self- 
control  amid  all  his  exciting  and  varied  occasions.  His  will 
was  always  in  command  and  its  orders  were  never  disre¬ 
garded.  Enmity  and  opposition  of  foes  were  as  ineffective 
as  the  advice  and  anxiety  of  friends  to  turn  him  from  his 
chosen  path  of  duty.  The  Gospels  do  not  furnish  a  single 
case  of  loss  of  self-mastery.  He  was  his  own  king,  and  his 
kingship  was  supreme.  To  his  friends  he  sometimes  seemed 
unbalanced  and  demented,  but  he  was  clearly  working  out 
his  own  plan,  from  which  he  would  not  swerve.  His  indomi¬ 
table  will  kept  mind  and  heart  true  to  the  task  of  Saviour- 
hood.  Impediments  of  sin  did  not  enter  this  Holy  Place  of 
the  soul. 

3.  POWER  OF  COMMAND— The  will  of  Jesus  was  corn- 
mandatory  but  not  coercive.  He  spoke  to  men  and  they  ac¬ 
cepted  his  advice  as  their  duty,  nor  did  they  dare  to  disobey 
without  feeling  culpable.  In  this  method  of  preaching  the 
opportunities  and  the  graces  of  the  kingdom  Jesus  exercised 
a  divine  restraint,  for  it  would  have  been  easy  for  him  to  do 
violence  to  the  individual  will  by  force  and  compulsion.  His 
overmastering  personality  could  have  persuaded  men  into 
service  in  the  kingdom  while  their  wills  would  be  evil  and 
uncurbed,  but  he  would  not  follow  such  coercion.  His 
words  of  grace  might  come  freighted  with  his  own  gentle¬ 
ness,  “  Come  unto  me  and  I  will  give  you  rest,”  but  he  would 
not  compel  discipleship.  His  imperative  always  admitted 


HIS  PSYCHOLOGY 


161 


of  choice,  though  that  choice  might  result  in  disobedience. 
He  respected  the  wills  of  others. 

4.  SUBMISSION. — Jesus  did  not  forget  his  earthly  humili¬ 
ation  and  submission  to  the  Father.  It  was  his  delight  to 
declare  that  he  had  come  to  do  the  will  of  the  Father. 

When  his  life-work  was  nearly  ended  and  his  crown  seemed 

«/ 

to  be  that  of  failure,  when  the  shadows  of  the  olive-trees 
were  not  so  dark  as  those  upon  his  heart  and  career,  he 
reached  the  summit  of  earthly  dignity  of  character  and  gran¬ 
deur,  when  he  could  say,  “Father,  if  thou  be  willing,  remove 
this  cup  from  me:  nevertheless  not  my  will,  but  thine,  be 
done.”  1  Saviourhood  here  found  its  best  attestation.  The 
will  of  the  Son  was  in  harmony  with  the  will  of  the  Father. 

“  Four  things  a  man  must  learn  to  do 
If  he  would  make  his  record  true: — 

To  think  without  confusion  clearly, 

To  love  his  fellow-men  sincerely, 

To  act  from  honest  motives  purely, 

To  trust  in  God  and  heaven  securely.”  2 

The  psycholog}7  of  Jesus  was  the  world’s  best  illustration 
of  the  success  of  this  effort  toward  perfection,  an  effort  that 
never  failed. 

1  Lk.  22:  42.  2  Van  Dyke. 


11 


CHAPTER  XIII 


THE  PERSONAL  RELIGION  OF  JESUS  IN  HIS 

PREACHING 


The  personal  religion  of  Jesus,  indicated  through  his 
preaching,  presents  the  religious  life  at  its  maximum.  He 
entered  into  full  fellowship  with  human  nature,  and  to  deny 
to  him  a  real  participation  in  the  best  part  of  human  experi¬ 
ence  would  be  to  denature  him  and  to  make  his  human  life 
a  phantom.  He  was  pre-eminently  religious.  With  clear 
appreciation  of  his  divine  and  human  union  the  student  may 
seek  from  the  Gospels  the  indications  of  the  personal  religion 
of  the  world’s  Preacher,  who  can  invite  followers  not  only 
to  accept  his  truth  but  to  imitate  his  life. 

I.  Jesus  as  a  Man  of  Prayer 

1.  THE  PRAYERS  OF  JESUS.— Prayer  is  the  soul’s 
initial  movement  in  religion.  Whether  it  be  the  cry  of  the 
distressed  savage,  unable  to  propitiate  or  ward  off  his  angry 
gods,  or  the  confident  voice  of  the  glad  child,  assured  by  the 
revelation  of  his  Heavenly  Father’s  love  and  goodness  that 
the  shadows  of  woe  and  fear  will  not  harm  him,  prayer  is 
the  soul’s  rightful  and  best  effort  to  reach  to  fellowship  with 
God.  Variety  of  manifestation  may  be  noticed,  crudities  in 
the  expected  benefits  from  it  may  be  criticised,  selfishness 
may  control  the  ends  of  it,  but  prayer  will  always  abide  as 
the  soul’s  outlet  toward  God.  The  prayerless  life  is  ab¬ 
normal  and  earthly.  Jesus  was  a  man  of  prayer.  He  met 
his  brethren  around  the  common  mercy-seat. 

162 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


163 


Prayers  of  Preparation.— The  public  ministry  of  Jesus 
was  begun  in  prayer.  The  words  of  Campbell  were  here 
most  applicable,  “Coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before.” 
Across  his  first  step  of  public  life  fell  the  shadows  that  should 
deepen  into  the  final  darkness  of  Calvary.  But  his  trust  in 
the  Father  and  his  own  self-confidence  would  remain  suffi¬ 
cient  to  carry  him  through  the  gloom. 

He  offered  his  preparatory  prayer  immediately  after  his 
baptism.  The  years  of  obscurity  had  now  passed  and  before 
him  lay  his  life-work.  The  years  of  youth  and  training  had 
not  been  without  communion  with  his  Father,  for  the  one 
glimpse  of  him  shows  him  conscious  of  his  unusual  relation 
to  his  Father’s  business.  As  he  knelt  upon  the  bank  of  Jor¬ 
dan  he  must  have  caught  a  true  vision  of  his  task,  with  the 
personal  temptations  from  Satan,  the  intense  demands  upon 
his  vitality,  the  bitter  hatred  of  foes,  the  defections  and  dul- 
ness  of  disciples,  the  personal  hardships,  the  shadows  of 
Via  Dolorosa,  the  cup  of  Gethsemane,  the  crown  of  thorns, 
and  the  cross  of  Calvary.  He  prayed  for  sustaining 
grace. 

Jesus  made  special  preparation  in  prayer  for  impending 
conflicts.1  The  cleansing  of  the  leper  resulted  in  popular 
excitement,  which  Jesus  saw  would  bring  a  conflict  with  the 
leaders  and  himself,  for  such  a  deed,  if  left  unchallenged, 
might  turn  the  entire  people  toward  the  wonderful  Preacher. 
Jesus  sought  retirement  for  quiet  and  prayer.  Shortly  after 
this  miracle  he  healed  the  paralytic  in  Capernaum  and  was 
charged  with  blasphemy.  The  opposition  had  by  this  time 
grown  so  definite  and  bold  as  to  risk  open  attacks  upon  his 
ministry.  Jesus  recognized  the  signs  of  danger.  He  sought 
in  prayer  the  needed  strength  to  meet  the  foe.  He  did  not 
underestimate  the  power  of  the  enemy,  but,  as  a  great  general 

1  Lk.  5:  16-26. 


164 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


might  do,  he  fortified  himself ;  no  unseemly  fear  attaches  to 
this  act  of  prayer. 

Jesus  prayed  for  the  appointment  of  the  apostolate.1  The 
salvation  of  the  sinful  world  could  be  mediated  only  through 
the  Saviour;  the  evangelization  of  the  world  would  be  the 
work  of  the  disciples.  Wisdom  and  discretion  were  needed 
in  the  careful  choice  of  these  first  interpreters  of  the  new 
religion.  These  men  were  called  to  bear  into  Judaism,  strong 
in  its  prejudices  against  other  forms  of  religion,  and  into  the 
Gentile  world,  indifferent  to  personal  piety  and  ready  for 
more  deities,  the  message  of  the  lowly  Nazarene.  They 
could  not  claim  the  support  of  wealth,  social  prestige,  or 
political  influence.  And  yet  they  were  to  preach  a  Gospel 
for  a  world  rather  than  for  a  country  or  a  province. 

Jesus  spent  the  night  in  prayer.  The  records  do  not  lift 
the  curtain  upon  the  scene,  but  tell  us  that  next  day  he  form¬ 
ally  called  the  Twelve  to  form  the  apostolate.  The  centuries 
of  success  for  the  religion  of  these  simple-hearted  and  un¬ 
lettered  disciples,  whose  chief  glory  is  in  their  true  interpreta¬ 
tion  of  the  mind  of  their  Master,  attest  the  wisdom  of  the 
prayerful  Jesus. 

“And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  praying  apart,  the  dis¬ 
ciples  were  with  him.”  2  Then  came  his  first  definite  an¬ 
nouncement  of  his  sufferings  and  death.  The  Apostle  Peter, 
spokesman  for  the  apostolate,  declared  belief  in  Jesus’  Mes- 
siahship,  though  he  did  not  realize  the  method  of  fulfilling 
this  divine  vocation.  The  Master  first  spoke  to  the  Father, 
and  then  to  his  disciples  about  the  coming  tragedy.  The 
Cross  had  its  preparation  and  its  supplement  in  prayer. 

'The  disciples  desired  to  learn  the  way  to  the  throne  of  God. 
The  way  was  that  of  obedience  to  the  will  and  plan  of  God, 
which  for  Jesus  led  to  the  transfiguration.  Accompanied  by 
iLk.  6:12.  2  Lk.  9:18-27. 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


165 


the  inner  circle  of  the  three,  Peter,  James,  and  John,  he 
“  went  up  into  the  mountain  to  pray.  And  as  he  was  praying, 
the  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered,  and  his  raiment 
became  white  and  dazzling.”  1  The  praying  Jesus  became 
the  transfigured  Jesus. 

The  disciples  observed  Jesus  in  his  devotions.2  “  When  he 
ceased  ”  they  presented  their  request  that  he  should  give 
them  the  privilege  of  instruction  in  prayer,  for  John  had  so 
taught  his  followers.  The  impulse  toward  imitation  in 
prayer  was  quickened  by  the  example  of  both  the  Fore¬ 
runner  and  the  Lord  himself.  The  request  was  answered 
with  the  Disciples’  Prayer,3  commonly  called  the  Lord’s 
Prayer.  Jesus  did  not  present  this  prayer  as  a  stereotyped 
form  for  constant  recital,  but  rather  outlined  the  principles 
of  true  prayer,  that  includes  the  soul's  attitude  to  God  and 
man. 

Prayers  of  Renewal, — Prayer  should  be  agonizing  and 
self-giving.  The  passive  soul  only  repeats  the  words  of 
prayer.  Physical  exhaustion  accompanies  the  most  fervent 
prayer.  And  yet  it  is  true  that  sense  of  mental,  spiritual,  or 
physical  weakness  may  lead  to  this  devotion  for  renewal  of 
powers.  Out  of  the  prayer  may  come  the  new  energy  to 
attempt  greater  things.  The  conscious  need  for  such  re¬ 
newal  often  follows  a  crisis. 

Jesus  had  preached  in  the  Capernaum  synagogue,  had 
healed  a  demoniac,  and  restored  the  mother  of  Peter’s  wife; 
late  in  the  afternoon  the  crowds  gathered  around  him  to 
hear  his  words  and  to  have  their  sick  healed.  It  had  been  a 
busy  dav  for  the  Preacher.  Before  day  he  arose  to  seek  the 

V  %J  J 

desert  for  prayer,4  his  great  soul  feeling  its  need  for  renewal 
of  physical  and  spiritual  forces,  upon  which  there  had  been 


1  Lk.  9:  28,  29. 

3  Lk.  11:2-4;  cf.  Mt.  6:  9-13. 


2  Lk.  11:  1. 
Oik.  1:  35. 


166 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


such  severe  draughts  the  previous  day.  Human  greatness 
indicates  its  superlative  character  by  the  ability  to  give  out 
self  in  sympathy  and  service  and  to  make  rapid  restoration 
of  vital  forces. 

Another  prayer  of  renewal  followed  a  difficult  day.  The 
vast  multitudes  had  accompanied  him  all  the  day,  and  he 
had  preached  to  them  and  healed  their  sick.  The  five  thou¬ 
sand  men  with  the  women  and  children  had  been  fed  with 
the  lad’s  lunch.  Stirred  by  such  marvels,  the  people  came 
to  crown  him  king,  but  Jesus  again  refused  this  suggestion 
of  Satan  that  he  should  take  the  short  way  to  the  throne;  he 
slipped  away  into  the  mountain  to  pray.1  This  day  of  service 
and  temptation  must  have  been  a  real  trial  to  Jesus,  for  his 
unity  of  both  the  divine  and  the  human  elements  of  life  left 
him  real  on  both  sides.  His  fellowship  with  men  was  so 
intimate  as  to  brine:  him  need  for  renewal  of  inner  strength. 

Prayers  of  Thanksgiving . — By  his  example  Jesus  rebuked 
the  ingrate.  Thanksgiving  is  as  essential  a  part  of  prayer  as 
petition.  Jesus  thanked  the  Father  that  he  had  revealed  the 
truth  to  the  men  of  humility.2  The  condition  of  receiving 
truth  is  teachableness,  which  requires  the  humble  heart. 
The  proud  Pharisee  was  shut  off  from  the  truth  by  his  high¬ 
mindedness.  The  heart  of  the  Preacher  rejoiced  that  ob¬ 
scurity  and  lowly  position  had  fitted  some  men  to  receive 
the  news  of  the  kingdom.  The  seer  has  always  been  the  man 
of  humility.  Jesus  also  thanked  God  for  answered  prayer. 
Before  the  tomb  of  Lazarus  Jesus  publicly  thanked  God  for 
the  former  answers  to  his  petitions.3 

If  the  Son  of  man,  whose  right  to  the  help  of  the  righteous 
forces  of  the  universe  would  be  unquestioned,  considered 
thanksgiving  a  duty  of  his  prayer  life,  surely  the  obligation 

i  Mt.  14:  23||.  2  Mt.  11:25,26. 

3  Jn.  11:41. 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


167 


comes  to  his  disciples  by  the  measure  of  their  unworthiness. 
Descriptive  of  the  general  attitude  of  men  toward  this  duty, 
the  following:  legend  may  be  cited.  St.  Peter  sent  from  heaven 
the  two  angels  of  Thanksgiving  and  Petition,  each  with  a 
basket  to  gather  up  the  world's  thanks  and  requests.  The 
basket  of  the  former  was  very  large,  the  latter  very  small. 
Lpon  the  return  to  heaven  the  baskets  were  brought  to 
St.  Peter. 

“The  Angel  of  Petitions  bore  a  sack 
Cram  full,  and  bound  uncouthly  on  his  back: 

Yet  even  then  it  seemed  that  he  had  lack 
Of  bag  or  basket. 

“The  Angel  of  Thanksgivings  blushed  to  feel 
The  empty  lightness  of  his  mighty  creel: 

‘But  three!’  he  muttered,  turning  on  his  heel 
To  hide  his  basket.” 

Prayers  of  Intercession. — Jesus  prayed  that  Peter’s  faith 
might  not  fail  him  in  his  hour  of  trial  and  sifting.1  Even  in 
his  own  dark  hours  of  struggle  with  the  forces  of  evil  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world  Jesus  did  not  forget  the  individual 
need  of  others.  The  impulsive,  erring,  and  boastful  Peter 
would  find  that  his  Master's  intercession  would  help  to  trans¬ 
form  him  into  the  intrepid,  zealous,  and  successful  preacher, 
willing  to  suffer  disgrace  and  imprisonment. 

The  great  intercessory  prayer  of  Jesus  gathered  into  its 
benefits  the  disciples  of  all  the  ages;  here  were  given  the  rela¬ 
tions  of  the  Son  to  the  Father,  of  the  Son  to  his  immediate 
followers,  and  of  the  Son  to  his  disciples  of  all  ages.2  “And 
Jesus  said,  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do.”  3  None  but  a  divinely  enspirited  soul  could  have  risen 
to  such  unselfish  nobility.  The  jeers  of  his  erucifiers  and 


1  Lk.  22:32. 
3  Lk.  23:34. 


2  Jn.  17. 


168 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


the  agony  of  death  by  crucifixion  could  not  make  him  depart 
from  his  life-plan  of  sacrifice.  He  came  that  men  might  have 
forgiveness,  and  in  his  own  death  exemplified  forgiveness  of 
enemies.  What  great  love  was  this  that  would  lead  one  to 
die  for  his  enemies! 

Prayers  of  the  Passion. — Here  may  be  noticed  the  Prayers 
of  Jesus  that  have  direct  bearing  upon  his  suffering.  In  his 
last  public  discourse  he  said,  “  Father,  save  me  from  this  hour. 
But  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour.”  1  A  great  scholar 
has  suggested  that  the  current  interpretation  of  withdrawal 
from  the  experiences  of  the  hour  be  changed  so  as  to  make  it 
a  prayer  for  the  divine  presence  and  power  to  bring  him 
safely  through  the  hour  of  consummated  Saviourhood.  He 
had  already  declared  to  his  disciples  the  expectation  of  suffer¬ 
ing  and  death  as  his  portion;  he  yearned  for  the  conscious 
touch  of  the  Father’s  hand. 

Similar  to  this  was  the  thrice-repeated  Gethsemane  prayer, 
“Father,  if  thou  be  willing,  remove  this  cup  from  me:  never¬ 
theless  not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done.”  2  He  was  ready  to 
continue  his  obedience  even  though  it  brought  him  to  the 
most  severe  trial  of  the  innocent  bearing  death  for  the  sinful. 
This  cry  of  soul-agony  wrung  from  Jesus  only  heightens  our 
appreciation  of  his  greatness,  for  only  a  divinely  human 
nature  could  have  fully  understood  the  sacrifice  of  Saviour- 
hood. 

The  cry  of  the  forsaken  Son  of  God  must  be  studied  with 
holy  reverence  and  restraint,  “My  God,  my  God,  why  hast 
thou  forsaken  me?”3  The  certain  appreciation  of  this 
experience  is  yet  for  the  future  to  bring,  for  it  is  a  far  reach 
for  the  human  mind  to  fathom  the  meaning  of  the  momentary 
withdrawal  of  the  Father’s  comfort.  The  Son  was  beneath 


1  Jn.  12:27. 
3Mt.  27:  46||. 


2  Lk.  22:  42||. 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


169 


the  cloud ;  let  us  turn  curious  eyes  from  him  to  our  own  sinful 
hearts  for  whose  benefit  the  shadows  had  come  to  him. 

Homiletical  Observations. — Sixteen  times  the  records  say 
that  Jesus  prayed,  eight  times  the  substance  of  the  prayer 
being  briefly  given.  Six  prayers  were  offered  during  his  Last 
Week.  The  one  in  Gethsemane  is  the  only  one  given  by  the 
three  Synoptics.  Various  details  of  the  common  narratives 
are  given  by  the  writers.  Eight  are  peculiar  to  Luke,  three  to 
John,  and  one  to  Mark.  In  six  cases  mention  is  made  of  his 
retirement  for  prayer. 

The  habits  of  the  prayer  life  of  Jesus  are  indicated  in  these 
records.  He  loved  the  seasons  of  retirement,  when  his  soul 
could  speak  without  interruption  to  the  Father;  occasionally 
he  permitted  the  disciples  within  the  circle  of  this  quiet  hour. 
His  passion  for  prayer  often  continued  the  devotion  through 
the  entire  night.  He  had  definite  purposes  in  mind  in  his 
petitions  for  himself  or  for  others  and  in  his  thanksgiving;  he 
did  not  ramble  in  conversations  with  God.  He  used  appro- 
priate  names  and  forms  of  address  for  God  without  familiarity 
such  as  appears  in  some  Christian  customs.  Jesus  put  his 
soul  into  his  prayers.  He  did  not  pray  for  personal  forgive¬ 
ness.  His  prayers  lacked  the  contingent  and  uncertain 
element,  consequently  they  were  answered.  The  supreme 
moment  of  his  life  came  in  his  renunciation,  final  and  sacri¬ 
ficial,  of  his  own  will  in  obedience  to  his  Father’s.  His 
example  serves  as  an  inspiration  to  men  for  their  imitation. 

2.  THE  TEACHING  OF  JESUS  ABOUT  PRAYER. — A 
brief  supplemental  treatment  of  this  topic  is  needed  to  pre¬ 
sent  a  fair  view  of  Jesus  as  a  man  of  prayer. 

The  True  Spirit  of  Prayer. — We  are  not  here  concerned 
with  a  statement  of  the  question  from  the  theological  view¬ 
point,  but  Jesus  also  stressed  the  true  spirit  of  prayer  as  a 
homiletical  principle.  The  parable  of  the  Pharisee  and  the 


170 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Publican  taught  this.  Self-satisfied  with  his  religious  promi¬ 
nence  and  external  piety,  the  Pharisee  thanked  God  for 
superiority  to  his  despised  fellow- worshipper;  the  penitent 
publican  with  dowmcast  eyes  bemoaned  his  unworthiness. 
The  repentant  heart  may  always  be  assured  of  the  similar 
blessing  of  the  publican. 

The  Subjects  of  Prayer. — The  homiletics  of  prayer  partly 
define  the  limits  of  answerable  prayer.  Jesus  did  not  present 
particular  lists,  but  gave  the  heart  a  wide  outlook.  On  two 
occasions  he  instructed  his  disciples  to  pray  for  an  increase  of 
laborers  in  the  harvest  of  the  kingdom.  The  need  for  its 
present  repetition  is  apparent  from  the  great  work  yet  to  be 
done.  He  advised  prayer  for  the  trials  that  should  come 
when  the  events  of  his  apocalyptic  discourse  should  be  ful¬ 
filled  in  the  coming  end  of  Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the 
world.  They  should  also  use  this  safeguard  against  tempta¬ 
tions.  To  these  somewhat  definite  subjects  he  added  the 
summary  of  needs  in  the  “whatsoever”  and  “everything.” 

Conditions  of  Prayer. — Effective  prayer  must  be  condi¬ 
tional.  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  Jesus  declared  that  the 
asking  should  precede  the  receiving;  the  heart  must  speak 
its  needs  to  the  Father,  although  he  fully  understands  them. 
The  parables  of  the  Friend  at  Midnight  and  the  Unrighteous 
Judge  illustrated  the  earnestness  and  the  persistency  of  the 
man,  who  felt  compelled  to  receive  the  answer  to  his  prayers. 
The  mountain  of  difficulty  would  yield  to  the  faith  that  could 
so  transcend  all  laws  as  to  command  absolute  confidence  in 
God.  The  abiding  in  Christ,  as  the  branch  abides  in  the 
vine,  would  fit  one  for  the  fruitage  of  which  definite  requests 
would  form  parts.  Prayer  should  be  made  to  the  Father  on 
the  basis  of  the  Son’s  work,  but  direct  appeals  might  be 
offered  even  to  the  Son. 

Answers  to  Prayer. — Expectation  conditions  answers  to 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


171 


prayer.  The  earthly  father  but  indicates  the  willingness  of 
the  heavenly  to  bless  his  children  who  ask  in  faith  for  their 
needs  to  be  supplied.  “Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive.”1  Re¬ 
fusal  to  ask  may  limit  God's  favors  to  men,  for  he  stands 
ready  to  grant  many  things,  but  requires  the  soul  to  pray. 
Spiritual  power  is  within  the  privilege  of  each  child  of  God, 
but  its  exercise  will  come  only  as  the  soul  submits  the  life  to 
God  and  prays  for  the  power. 

“  Prayer  is  the  Christian’s  vital  breath, 

The  Christian’s  native  air, 

His  watchword  at  the  gates  of  death; 

He  enters  heaven  with  prayer.” 

II.  Jesus  as  a  Worshipper 

1.  SINLESSNESS. — The  sinlessness  of  Jesus  was  funda¬ 
mental  to  his  worship.  His  incarnation  gave  him  full  partici¬ 
pation  in  human  life  with  the  exception  of  sin.  Salvation 
from  sin  could  have  been  mediated  only  through  a  sinless  man, 
whose  character  included  both  the  human  and  the  divine 
elements  of  life.  This  fact  has  been  an  axiom  of  theology. 
Jesus  professed  faith  in  his  own  sinlessness  and  challenged 
his  enemies  for  the  contrary  proof :  “  Which  of  you  convicteth 
me  of  sin?”  2  The  silence  of  failure  held  his  audience.  He 
claimed  equality  with  the  Father  and  the  right  to  speak  the 
universal  duty  for  men,  such  a  course  being  presumption  in 
one  less  unique  than  the  Holy  One  of  God.  Consequently 
Jesus  never  prayed  for  personal  forgiveness.  His  worship 
was  free  from  penitence  and  the  sacrifices  for  sin.  His  final 
victory  over  sin  as  the  Saviour  could  not  have  been  gained  if 
he  had  felt  the  conscious  need  of  freedom  from  individual 
guilt. 

2.  REGULARITY. — As  a  worshipper  Jesus  maintained 

iMt.  7:7-12.  2jn.  8:46. 


172 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


regular  habits.  The  records  do  not  furnish  information 
about  his  youth,  but  they  show  that  his  public  life  was  true 
to  the  occasions  of  worship.  He  was  a  regular  attendant 
upon  the  synagogue  and  the  Temple;  he  journeyed  more 
than  once  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem  to  be  present  at  the  great 
feasts  which  the  pious  Jew  was  expected  to  attend.  “And 
he  came  to  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been  brought  up:  and  he 
entered,  as  his  custom  was,  into  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  stood  up  to  read.”  1 

3.  ORTHODOXY. — Jesus  was  only  partly  orthodox  as  a 
Jew.  While  he  accepted  the  memorials  of  the  Hebrew  re¬ 
ligion,  as  these  were  contained  in  the  sacred  literature  and  the 
forms  and  places  of  worship,  he  could  not  accept  the  current 
interpretations  and  expressions  of  the  religious  life.  He  would 
pay  the  Temple-tax,  and  send  his  beneficiaries  to  the  priests 
for  approval,  according  to  the  historic  laws,  but  he  could  not 
be  bound  by  the  narrow  demands  for  fastings,  public  prayers, 
ostentatious  alms,  and  numerous  other  Pharisaical  restrictions 
and  burdens.  For  the  many  sacrifices  for  sin  he  desired  to 

V 

substitute  that  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  himself:  for  the  priest¬ 
hood  of  ambitious  men  he  declared  in  favor  of  the  universal 
priesthood  of  believers.  He  was  condemned  as  the  violator 
of  traditions;  he  was  not  orthodox.  However,  he  most 
clearly  attained  to  the  true  meaning  of  the  divine  leadership 
of  Israel  and  the  revelations  of  Jehovah. 

4.  SPIRITUALITY. — The  personal  religion  of  Jesus  was 
deeply  spiritual.  He  put  into  externals  the  motive  of  worship. 
He  best  illustrated  his  own  dictum,  “God  is  a  Spirit:  and 
they  that  worship  him  must  worship  in  spirit  and  truth.”  2 
Such  spirituality  characterized  his  attitude  to  God,  to  the 
Messianic  Hope,  and  to  personal  service  to  men  as  to  enrage 
his  foes,  who  could  not  transfer  religion  from  the  carnal  to 

iLk.  4:16.  2jn.  4:24. 


HIS  PERSONAL  RELIGION 


173 


the  spiritual,  from  the  temporal  to  the  eternal,  and  from  the 
seen  to  the  unseen. 

III.  Jesus  as  a  Religious  Worker 

1.  THE  PREACHER. — The  personal  religion  of  Jesus 
expressed  itself  in  work.  Religious  emotions  and  aspirations 
should  have  embodiment.  The  ministry  of  truth  was  Jesus’ 
constant  effort  to  express  his  faith  in  God,  for  men  must 
know  the  divine  methods  of  worship  and  service.  His  preach¬ 
ing  taught  men  to  know  God. 

2.  THE  HEALER. — The  miracles  of  Jesus  were  visible 
and  appreciable  tokens  of  his  interest  in  men.  He  kept  the 
injunctions  of  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  He 
ministered  to  men.  His  ministry  of  miracles  indicates  this 
method  of  work. 

3.  THE  CREATOR  OF  A  NEW  COMMUNITY.—Jesus 

as  a  religious  worker  created  a  new  community.  From  him 
the  forces  went  out  for  a  new  horizon  for  the  world.  The  ages 
of  Christianity  testify  to  his  genius  of  creation. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  GENTLENESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Gentleness  is  the  mark  of  the  great  soul.  Harshness  and 
churlishness  indicate  the  small  nature.  A  few  men  of  cruelty 
have  received  honor  from  men,  but  they  would  have  reached 
larger  places  in  the  affections  if  they  had  cultivated  the  art 
of  gentleness.  The  appreciation  of  this  element  in  the  charac¬ 
ter  of  Jesus  found  expression  in  the  apostolic  application  of 
the  prophecy: 

“A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break, 

And  smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench, 

Till  he  send  forth  judgment  unto  victory.”  1 

The  homiletical  appeal  of  gentleness  is  made  through  per¬ 
suasion,  attraction,  and  the  delicate  touches  of  emotion  that 
defy  analysis  but  that  may  be  noticed  and  felt. 

I.  The  Gentleness  of  Compassion 

1.  MASTERFUL  INTEREST. — Jesus’  interest  in  men  was 
a  master  passion.  He  could  not  look  unmoved  upon  the 
struggling  masses  of  men,  most  of  whom  were  dominated  by 
the  task  to  secure  bread.  Social  reformers  have  sometimes 
simulated  an  interest  in  the  wretchedness  of  men  because  it 
seemed  proper  to  have  such  feeling  in  order  to  help  them, 
but  in  this  regard  Jesus  did  not  practice  hypocrisy;  he  was 
sincere  in  his  attentions  to  men.  He  felt  constrained  by  his 

1  Mt.  12:  20;  cf.  Is.  42:  3. 

174 


HIS  GENTLENESS 


175 


high  vocation  to  give  men  the  interest  commensurate  with 
their  needs.  His  advent  into  the  world  had  been  in  response 
to  the  world’s  need  for  a  Saviour,  and  he  never  forgot  his 
prime  purpose.  His  compassionate  interest  in  the  poor 
oppressed  classes  was  in  great  contrast  to  the  course  of  his 
contemporaries. 

This  gentleness  of  compassion,  giving  direction  to  his 
interest  in  men,  attached  to  all  his  deeds.  His  chief  duty 
was  to  deliver  the  evangel  of  his  own  sacrificial  death  until 
his  cross  should  be  prepared,  but  such  a  ministry  correlated 
so  many  forces  that  Jesus  could  not  neglect  to  enunciate 
the  principles  that  govern  social,  civic,  and  theologic  duties. 
The  pulsating  life  around  him  stirred  him  to  compassion 
and  service. 

2.  HEART  OF  SYMPATHY.— The  story  of  his  benefi¬ 
cence  is  often  prefixed  by  “  He  was  moved  with  compassion.”  1 
His  heart  entered  into  touch  with  human  suffering.  His 
tears  mingled  with  those  of  the  sisters  at  the  tomb  of  Laza¬ 
rus;  the  trembling  woman  in  the  crowd  felt  this  gentleness 
when  she  touched  his  garment.  He  earned  his  title  of  “the 
Man  of  Sorrows”  by  his  contact  with  and  his  ministry  to  the 
distressed  people  whom  other  leaders  neglected.  His  own 
pains  of  Saviourhood  supported  this  title.  He  walked  the 
common  road  with  men. 

3.  SYMPATHY  THROUGH  TEMPTATION.— The  temp¬ 
tations  of  Jesus  had  their  homiletical  as  well  as  their  so- 
teriological  values.  The  three  typical  temptations  after  his 
baptism  were  real  struggles  of  the  soul,  from  which  came 
a  better  contact  with  the  tempted  sinner.  His  own  soul  had 
come  victoriously  forth  from  battle,  and  thereby  gained  the 
right  to  speak  to  each  brother  in  life’s  conflicts.  He  put 
aside  the  suggestions  of  evil;  he  preferred  the  path  of  shame 

1  Mt.  9:36;  cf.  14:  14;  18:27;  Mk.  1:41;  6:34. 


176 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


and  suffering  to  that  of  sin  and  Satan.  By  the  evidence  of 
his  own  battles  he  could  appeal  to  his  people  for  the  right  to 
succor  them.  His  brave  heart,  mindful  of  the  force  of  sug¬ 
gestive  evil  and  conscious  of  the  power  to  conquer  for  others 
as  for  self,  overflowed  with  love  for  the  tempted  soul.  The 
gentleness  of  compassion  and  the  compassion  of  gentleness 
moved  him  to  give  himself  for  men  in  a  ceaseless  endeavor 
to  empower  them  to  gain  the  victory  over  self  and  sin. 

II.  The  Gentleness  op  Related  Miracles 

1.  THE  LOVING  PHYSICIAN.— The  ministry  of  heal¬ 
ing  reveals  the  character  of  the  Preacher  as  fully  as  that  of 
words.  The  Gospels  do  not  record  a  single  case  of  rejected 
requests  for  healing  on  the  part  of  Jesus.  Pressed  with  the 
eager  crowds,  weary  with  continued  service,  criticised  by 
foes,  misunderstood  by  friends,  and  impelled  by  his  inner 
ethical  necessity  toward  the  Cross,  Jesus  maintained  his 
gentle  patience  and  lovable  disposition.  His  habitual  readi¬ 
ness  to  answer  the  cry  of  distress  makes  more  pronounced 
his  reluctance  to  help  the  Syrophcenician  mother.  With 
tender  words  he  sought  to  comfort  the  household  of  Jairus — * 
“Weep  not.”  Only  a  divine  graciousness  fills  his  miracles. 

2.  THE  LORD  OF  NATURE. — Jesus  evidenced  his  lord- 
ship  over  nature  through  his  nature  miracles,  but  the  glory 
of  lordship  does  not  detract  from  the  glory  of  gentleness. 
His  audiences  might  have  attempted  a  philosophy  of  his 
mastery  of  the  physical  forces,  had  it  not  been  for  their  com¬ 
manding  interest  in  his  gentle  deeds  for  them;  power  is 
forgotten  in  the  presence  of  love. 

Disturbed  over  the  Temple-tax,  the  disciple  was  sent  by 
his  resourceful  Master  to  the  near-by  lake  for  the  fish  with 
the  required  amount.  Shepherdless  and  drifting,  weary  and 
hungry,  the  multitudes  found  their  wants  supplied  by  him 


ms  GENTLENESS 


177 


whose  lordship  over  nature  could  make  a  small  lunch  mul¬ 
tiply  into  food  for  thousands  and  whose  gentle  heart  was 
'  touched  by  their  forlornness.  The  impulsive  Peter,  perhaps 
with  some  desire  for  prominence  in  the  unusual  act,  asked 
that  Jesus  might  bespeak  his  passage  over  the  waves;  when 
waning  faith  and  fear  would  bring  the  apostle  beneath 
the  water,  the  outstretched  hand  of  his  Master  came  to  his 
relief,  the  crisis  and  danger,  the  presumption  and  lack  of 
faith,  not  debarring  the  gentleness  of  the  Master. 

The  kingdom  of  God  should  become  love,  joy,  righteous¬ 
ness,  and  peace  because  of  the  personal  sovereignty  of  the 
Messiah,  whose  life  of  earthly  service  and  whose  institution 
of  the  kingdom  were  characteristically  gentle  and  lovable. 

III.  The  Gentleness  of  Attitude 

1.  TOWARD  THE  FRIENDLESS.— Jesus  became  the 
friend  of  the  friendless.  The  scribes  and  Pharisees  did  not 
cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  the  poor  and  sinful  classes;  it 
remained  to  the  Master  Preacher  to  give  these  people  the 
glad  tidings  of  salvation.  His  critics  found  great  fault  because 
of  his  attitude  toward  these  dependents  and  defectives,  but 
Jesus  was  not  deterred  from  his  gentleness. 

2.  TOWARD  THE  SINNER. — The  current  formalism 
of  Pharisaism  had  practically  shut  out  the  sinner  from  the 
mercy  of  God.  The  rights  of  the  sanctuary  were  for  the 
holy  and  unsullied,  at  least  in  external  proprieties.  Jesus 
made  special  appeals  and  invitations  to  the  sinner,  outcast 
and  condemned,  but  thereby  only  intensified  his  need  of  the 
Friend  of  Sinners.  As  to  the  lost  sheep,  Jesus  had  come  to 
these;  he  granted  them  forgiveness  and  a  new  start  in  life. 

The  preacher  of  any  age  defines  his  conception  of  truth 
and  salvation  by  his  attitude  toward  the  sinner.  With  Jesus 
this  attitude  went  beyond  a  simple  statement  of  possible 


178 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


salvation.  He  entered  into  their  social  life  that  he  might 
give  them  his  religious  life.  He  accomplished  this  without 
oppressing  them  with  his  holiness  and  their  sinfulness,  and, 
though  his  purity  was  a  rebuke  to  them,  they  could  find  in  it 
the  assurance  of  his  help  for  their  betterment.  He  bared  to 
them  his  heart,  saying,  “Come  unto  me,”  and  the  tired,  sin¬ 
ful  and  struggling  soul  responded. 

IV.  The  Gentleness  op  Chivalry 

1.  THE  KNIGHT  OF  THE  LOWLY.— The  age  of  chiv¬ 
alry  championed  the  cause  of  the  down-trodden.  It  was  an 
era  of  heroic  response  to  the  appeal  of  the  friendless,  when 
the  knight  went  forth  in  strong  armor  to  do  battle  for  the 
weak.  The  gentleness  of  Jesus  exhibited  in  his  preaching 
this  same  spirit  of  chivalry.  He  was  the  Knight  of  the  Lowly. 
He  used  neither  charger  nor  spear.  He  was  clad  with  the 
omnipotence  of  the  Spirit.  His  weapons  were  truth  and 
love. 

The  selfishness  of  Pharisaism  had  paralleled  the  indiffer¬ 
ence  of  Roman  heathenism  in  the  abandonment  of  the  un¬ 
fortunate  to  the  miseries  of  the  desert,  the  wild  beast,  and 
starvation.  There  was  no  medicinal  care  for  the  sick.  The 
leper  was  shut  out  from  society  and  commanded  to  cry  his 
uncleanness  at  the  approach  of  any  person.  The  insane 
must  often  wander  in  the  deserts  or  seek  the  company  of  the 
shadows  of  the  tombs.  The  blind  must  guide  their  own  blind. 
The  demoniac  must  suffer  the  misfortune  of  accidents  and 
the  humiliation  of  the  obsession  of  an  evil  spirit. 

Jesus  answered  the  need  of  each  of  these  classes.  His 
chivalric  spirit  could  not  endure  the  sight  of  unaided  mis¬ 
fortune.  To  him  flocked  the  lepers  to  be  healed  with  his 
touch  of  power  and  compassion;  all  defectives  and  depend¬ 
ents  recognized  in  him  their  knight  and  rescuer.  It  mattered 


HIS  GENTLENESS 


179 


not  to  him  that  his  critics  justified  their  bitterness  toward 
him  by  these  deeds  of  gentleness.  He  was  not  deterred  from 
them.  His  knighthood  flowered  in  fragrant  acts  of  mercy. 

2.  THE  KNIGHT  OF  THE  SINNER.— Jesus  outraged 
the  sense  of  rabbinical  propriety  by  his  attitude  toward  the 
sinner.  The  current  Pharisaism  had  closed  the  door  of 
practical  salvation  to  the  sinner.  The  rights  of  the  sanctuary 
were  for  the  holy,  though  the  holiness  might  penetrate  no 
deeper  than  the  external  act.  Jesus  not  only  invited  and 
accepted  sinners’  friendship  but  even  ate  with  them.  Such 
degradation  was  without  precedent  among  the  religious 
leaders.  The  woman  of  the  streets  found  in  him  a  Knight 
whose  errantry  would  bring  her  the  boon  of  divine  forgive¬ 
ness  and  acceptance.  His  disciples  might  be  called  upon  to 
listen  to  the  sharp  arraignment  of  their  Master,  but  Jesus 
continued  his  invitations  to  the  outcast  sinner  whose  very 
sinfulness  made  such  heavy  demands  upon  the  heart  of  this 
Peerless  Preacher. 

3.  THE  KNIGHT  OF  WOMANHOOD.— The  modern  po¬ 
sition  of  woman  in  Christendom  is  due  directly  to  the  in- 

V 

fluence  of  Jesus.  A  comparison  of  her  condition  in  America 
and  in  India  will  reflect  only  honor  upon  the  Knight  of  Wo¬ 
manhood,  wdiose  ministry  gathered  into  discipleship  these 
tender  and  appreciative  listeners.  He  silenced  the  wonder¬ 
ing  disciples,  just  returned  from  their  purchase  of  food,  by 
his  commanding  and  unspoken  right  to  transgress  the  cus¬ 
toms  of  the  day;  the  soul  of  the  sinful  woman  of  Samaria 
was  wTorth  saving  through  the  revelation  of  the  water  of  life; 
and  to  do  this  traditions  might  be  passed  by. 

Woman  did  not  fill  the  place  of  honor  and  consideration 
given  her  to-day.  She  was  but  the  slave  of  her  husband, 
who  claimed  Mosaic  authority  to  put  her  aside  at  his  pleas¬ 
ure.  The  preaching  of  Jesus  elevated  her  to  man’s  side  and 


180 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


fixed  a  common  standard  of  ethics  for  both,  in  this  regard 
differing  both  from  the  practical  ideals  of  his  age  and  this, 
which  permits  to  the  man  that  which  would  debar  the  woman 
from  society. 

The  home  at  Bethany,  the  women  upon  whom  miracles 
were  wrought,  the  tearful  and  womanly  preparations  of  his 
body  for  the  tomb,  the  eager  visitors  to  his  open  sepulchre — 
all  these  testify  to  the  gentle  Knight,  who  willingly  braved 
the  censure  of  his  fellow  religious  workers  in  order  that  he 
might  rescue  woman  from  her  serfdom  of  ignorance,  sin, 
and  inferiority.  His  lance  of  truth  broke  his  enemies’  lances 
of  error  and  conceit.  The  rights  of  the  kingdom  could  not 
distinguish  between  the  masculine  and  the  feminine. 

V.  The  Gentleness  of  Firmness 

1.  THE  UNALTERED  PURPOSE.— The  gentleness  of 
Jesus  in  his  preaching  was  united  to  his  firmness.  He  was 
practical  in  his  graciousness.  His  purpose  remained  unal¬ 
tered.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  multitudes,  in  whom  the 
wonder  of  miracles  overruled  every  other  thought,  would 
have  crowned  him  king.  He  had  come  to  redeem  God’s 
promise  that  Israel  should  receive  her  king,  the  Messiah.  It 
would  have  been  easier  for  him  to  accept  the  short  path  to 
the  throne,  but  his  plan  led  him  through  sufferings  and  death 
to  the  crown. 

With  a  gentleness  of  firmness  he  stood  true  to  his  plan. 
His  disciples  tried  to  persuade  him  into  a  different  course, 
the  spokesman  Simon  Peter  declaring  that  such  a  plan  should 
not  become  effective.  With  firmness  and  decision  he  said, 
“Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan.”1  His  brethren  failed  to 
understand  him  and  tried  to  suggest  better  plans  for  Jesus, 
advising  him  to  go  to  the  feast,  when  Jesus  had  other  duties, 

1  Mt.  16:23. 


HIS  GENTLENESS 


181 


and  to  cease  his  wonders,  which  appeared  to  them  the  out¬ 
come  of  a  disordered  mind.  Even  his  mother  could  not 
fully  comprehend  the  necessity  for  the  Cross,  which  came  to 
her  as  a  spear  to  the  heart.  His  foes  did  their  best  to  divert 
his  path.  But  his  high  purpose  called  him.  He  changed 
neither  for  friend  nor  foe. 

2.  THE  SELECTIVE  GRACE.— Gentle  firmness  tells  the 
needful  truth.  The  accurate  diagnosis  of  the  disease  must 
be  followed  by  the  story  of  the  end,  the  love  and  gentle¬ 
ness  of  the  family  physician  making  his  sad  duty  imperative. 
Jesus  would  not  fail  to  warn  men  against  the  wrath  of  God 
because  of  sin.  The  poor  man  who  had  come  into  the  supper 
without  the  proper  garment  felt  the  firmness  of  the  host,  but 
gentleness  and  foresight  had  made  preparation  for  all  guests. 
Unused  or  misused  opportunities  bring  their  own  punish¬ 
ment.  Jesus  was  too  true  to  his  mission  as  the  Saviour  to 
permit  his  tender  heart  to  pass  over  the  firmer  demands  upon 
him.  His  grace  was  selective,  reaching  to  the  need  of  each 
occasion. 

Jesus  was  tender  but  just  in  his  censures.  He  spoke 
severely  to  the  self-righteous  Pharisees,  but  his  woes  had 
regard  as  well  to  the  oppressed  sinner  whom  the  leaders  had 
shunned.  The  impenitent  man  could  not  secure  the  blessings 
of  the  kingdom.  The  disciples  were  slow  to  learn  the  lessons 
of  faith:  “  O  ye  of  little  faith.”  1  But  wdien  the  approaching 
Cross  had  cast  its  shadow  upon  their  hearts,  and  they  were 
oppressed  with  vague  fears,  his  word  of  cheer  was,  “  Let  not 
your  heart  be  troubled.”  2 

The  neglectful  Simon  was  reminded  of  his  lack  of  courtesy 
in  the  matter  of  water  for  the  distinguished  guest,  but  the 
poor  woman  with  her  tears  wTas  praised  for  her  humility  and 
thoughtfulness.  The  treasurer  of  the  apostles  was  condemned 
1  Mt.  8:26.  2jn.  i4;i, 


182 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


for  his  commercial  spirit,  cloaking  his  desire  for  theft,  while 
the  self-forgetful  Mary,  conscious  only  of  the  coming  death 
of  her  Lord,  received  the  promise  of  the  eternal  memorial 
of  her  sacrifice.  Praise  and  censure  were  justly  distributed. 

VI.  The  Gentleness  of  Speech 

1.  TONE. — The  voice  of  Jesus  contained  infinite  tender¬ 
ness.  Firmness,  authority,  and  greatness  of  message  did 
not  rob  his  speech  of  its  gentle  tone.  The  preacher  of  power 
knows  the  secret  of  the  harmony  of  tone  and  message.  People 
were  drawn  irresistibly  to  Jesus’  preaching  and  were  won  by 
the  sweet  cadences  of  his  voice.  The  gentle  heart  of  the  Son 
of  God  and  Son  of  man,  yearning  for  a  lost  world  to  be 
redeemed  through  his  personal  sacrifice  and  desirous  to 
bring  to  effective  notice  such  preparation  for  redemption, 
could  not  adopt  the  habitual  strident,  cruel,  repulsive  tones 
of  a  monarch,  careless  of  men’s  misfortunes.  He  was  the 
Preacher,  who  joined  heart  and  voice  for  the  task  of  bringing 
men  to  accept  the  truth. 

2.  INVITATION. — Grace  of  message  reflects  itself  in  gra¬ 
ciousness  in  delivery.  Invitations  are  supposed  to  be  win¬ 
some.  The  preaching  of  Jesus  invited  men  out  of  despair 
into  hope,  out  of  depressing  sorrow  into  victorious  joy,  out 
of  bondage  and  ruin  of  sin  into  the  freedom  and  benefits 
of  children  of  God,  and  out  of  the  prospect  of  Hell  into  the 
promise  of  Heaven.  His  service  was  not  to  be  grievous  and 
galling,  his  companionship  was  to  be  inspirational  and  saving, 
and  his  rest  was  to  come  to  every  willing  and  tired  heart. 
His  peace  would  conquer  fear  and  doubt. 

“  O  tender  beseechings  of  J esus, 

How  sweetly  they  fall  on  the  ear! 

O  gospel  of  grace  and  of  kindness, 

God’s  love  and  compassion  brought  near!” 


HIS  GENTLENESS 


183 


3.  IMAGERY. — The  imagery  of  gentleness  characterized 
the  preaching  of  Jesus.  From  the  finer  sensibilities  came 
his  pictures.  The  parable  of  the  Lost  Son  yet  remains  with¬ 
out  equal  in  all  literature  for  tenderness.  The  motherly 
hen  with  her  bustling  anxiety  to  protect  her  loved  ones  from 
the  approaching  storm,  the  helpless  blind  trying  to  minister 
to  their  fellows  of  the  dark,  the  falling  sparrow — these  indi¬ 
cate  imagery  of  the  heart  rather  than  of  cold  intellectualism. 
The  shepherd  cares  not  for  the  trouble  and  danger  and  rests 
not  until  he  can  bear  the  lost  lamb  in  his  bosom  back  to  the 
folded  flock. 

“But  none  of  the  ransomed  ever  knew 
How  deep  were  the  waters  crossed; 

Nor  how  dark  was  the  night  that  the  Lord  passed  through 
Ere  he  found  his  sheep  that  was  lost. 

Out  in  the  desert  he  heard  its  cry — 

Sick  and  helpless,  and  ready  to  die, 

Sick  and  helpless,  and  ready  to  die.” 

4.  DISPELLED  SHADOWS. — Jesus  chased  away  the  shad¬ 
ows  from  the  heart.  His  gentle  speech  drew  men  to  him,  for 
they  were  sure  of  his  help  and  kindness,  and  the  ages  have 
not  marred  the  gentle  voice,  fresh  with  power  as  of  old.  His 
own  heart  might  be  breaking  with  the  burden  of  salvation, 
but  he  must  be  the  ‘Tight  of  the  world.5’  The  darkness  of 
sin  must  vanish.  Through  the  gloom  of  Calvary  fell  the 
gladsome  sunshine  of  Heaven’s  forgiveness. 


CHAPTER  XV 


THE  SIMPLICITY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  rebuked  the  ambition  of  his  disciples  for  precedence 
in  the  promised  kingdom,  using  a  little  child  for  an  object 
lesson.  He  might  as  truly  have  thus  illustrated  his  own 
simplicity.  The  spontaneity,  freshness,  directness,  and 
plainness  of  the  child’s  method  were  his.  The  style  of  Jesus’ 
preaching  was  free  from  over-adornment  and  ornateness, 
from  complex  construction  and  obscure  thoughts.  He  did 
not  attempt  to  secure  a  reputation  for  learning  through  a 
mystical,  intangible,  and  unintelligible  message.  His  pur¬ 
pose  had  to  do  with  the  eternal  destinies  of  men.  He  could 
not  afford  to  be  entirely  misunderstood.  Yet  he  must  ad¬ 
dress  himself  largely  to  people  whose  power  of  thought  was 
restricted  to  the  plans  of  the  home,  the  farm,  or  the  store. 
They  were  not  scholars  with  time  to  unfold  the  truth  delivered 
in  an  involved  style.  So  great  was  this  Preacher,  so  simple 
was  his  manner,  so  like  the  sunshine  was  his  truth,  that  the 
common  people  claimed  him  as  their  own. 

I.  Simplicity  and  the  Message 

1.  CLEARNESS. — The  preacher  must  have  clear  con¬ 
ceptions  of  his  message  if  he  would  attain  his  object  through 
simplicity.  Personal  haziness  and  obscurity  of  thought  will 
impress  themselves  upon  the  style.  The  message  must  be 
definite  and  clear  in  the  mind  of  the  messenger,  for  he  can 

184 


HIS  SIMPLICITY 


185 


hardly  hope  that  his  audience  will  give  a  clearer  form  to  his 
thought  than  he  can. 

Jesus  was  confident  of  his  message.  The  contents  of  the 
gospel  of  the  kingdom,  which  he  came  to  preach,  were  defi¬ 
nitely  known  to  him  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry.  Blind 
gropings,  misleading  doubts,  recastings  of  statement,  revi¬ 
sions  of  teaching,  attempts  to  correct  errors  of  judgment, 
and  inappropriate  remarks  are  not  recorded  in  the  Gospels 
as  descriptive  of  his  preaching.  Whether  one  may  think 
that  Jesus  learned  from  experience  and  altered  his  opinions 
thereby,  or  that  his  entire  thought-life  was  shaped  from  the 
opening  of  his  public  ministry — there  being  growth  in  pre¬ 
sented  truth  but  not  in  his  consciousness  of  truth — one  must 
read  in  the  Gospels  the  story  of  Jesus  '  absolute  confidence  in 
his  own  preaching.  He  knew  the  what,  the  why,  and  the 
when  of  a  divinely  appointed  ministry.  Undimmed  by  sin, 
unhindered  by  accident,  his  vision  of  truth  never  lacked 
the  right  perspective.  His  was  the  sight  of  four  dimen¬ 
sions. 

2.  UNIVERSALITY. — Jesus  spoke  to  the  universal  mind 
and  heart.  He  selected  individual  cases  to  evoke  represent¬ 
ative  attitudes  and  emotions.  With  direct  woes  and  cen¬ 
sures  he  enraged  the  Pharisees,  while  he  invited  the  rene¬ 
gade  publican,  Zacchaeus,  into  fellowship  and  service  and 
spoke  the  glad  forgiveness  to  the  penitent  woman  of  sin. 
Such  typical  opportunities  for  truth  gave  him  the  right  to 
speak  with  simplicity  and  directness.  These  persons  could 
claim  specialties  only  in  their  direct  contact  with  the  Preacher, 
for  he  spoke  to  their  spiritual  successors  of  every  age. 

This  fundamental  and  universal  aspect  of  his  message, 
in  which  the  man  of  small  ability  could  respond  to  his  call 
for  experienced  truth  and  the  man  of  many  talents  could 
find  no  limits  to  his  genius,  had  immediate  effect  upon  the 


186 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


form  of  the  message,  giving  to  it  a  simplicity  that  would 
reach  the  woman  of  shame  and  the  man  of  greed. 

Nations  distinguish  themselves  through  form,  feature, 
and  dress.  The  Jew  is  recognized  upon  the  street  of  Cairo, 
Egypt,  as  easily  as  in  Cairo,  Illinois;  the  Turk,  the  English¬ 
man,  or  the  American  could  hide  neither  dress  nor  voice. 
Jesus  clothed  his  message  in  the  garments  of  the  Tvorld,  in 
which  the  main  trait  must  be  simplicity.  The  speech  of  the 
■world  must  be  extremely  simple.  The  universality  of  a 
common  human  nature,  long  the  accepted  statement  of  fact, 
needs  to  be  supplemented  by  Jesus’  emphasis  of  the  univer¬ 
sality  of  a  common  redemption  and  destiny  dependent  upon 
individual  choice  of  grace.  This  Preacher  could  be  simple 
in  speech  because  he  dealt  with  the  basic  forces  of  life  and 
character.  Men  everywhere  could  understand  him  in  his 
chief  appeals  to  right  conduct. 

II.  Simplicity  and  the  Presentation 

1.  THE  SKETCH-BOOK. — Jesus  made  the  ■world  of  fact 
to  become  the  translation  of  the  world  of  factors.  Per¬ 
fectly  familiar  to  him  were  the  forces  of  spiritual  finalities. 
Destiny  was  not  a  matter  of  national  territory  or  history,  but 
a  matter  of  individual  worth.  Jesus  made  a  new  sketch-book 
of  the  soul  from  the  old  one  of  nature  and  custom.  The 
pictures  of  common  life  would  set  forth  the  glory  of  the  inner 
world  of  truth  and  religion,  and  people  would  not  soon  for¬ 
get  the  form  of  the  teaching. 

A  random  citation  may  be  given  of  the  pictures  in  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  to  show  this  method  of  simplicity: 
salt,  light,  city,  candle  and  bushel,  adversary,  customs  of 
Pharisees  and  hypocrites,  treasures,  birds,  lilies,  roads,  and 
wolves.  These  figures  of  speech  would  be  well  known  to  his 
audiences,  and  Jesus  could  not  afford  to  present  his  message 


HIS  SIMPLICITY 


187 


in  such  manner  as  to  miss  entirely  the  appreciation  of  the 
people,  though  they  might  appropriate  but  small  portions 
of  his  sweeping  thoughts.  The  life  that  now  silently  forces 
men  to  obev  certain  fundamental  lawTs  could  fulfil  a  con- 
tributory  place  in  the  destiny  for  the  world  that  is  to  be. 
Pictured  reality  more  easily  becomes  forceful  mentality  and 
spirituality.  The  mind  of  the  child  and  the  man  can  share 
the  common  joy  of  objectified  truth. 

2.  IMMEDIATE  RESULTS. — Jesus  planned  immediate 
results  for  his  preaching.  His  kingdom  should  not  be  lim¬ 
ited  to  apocalyptic  blessings;  it  should  be  a  present  real¬ 
ity;  the  fleck  of  leaven  should  begin  its  immediate  task  of 
transformation.  A  message  that  might  be  intended  for  lei¬ 
sure  and  scholarly  research  might  be  presented  in  recondite 
form,  meditation,  debates  between  the  learned,  and  con¬ 
tinuity  of  thought  being  requisite  to  its  understanding;  but 
Jesus  was  moved  by  the  imperative  of  instant  danger  to 
give  lost  men  their  only  and  sufficient  direction  for  safety. 
His  task  precluded  learned  speech  that  might  be  misunder¬ 
stood;  men  needed  the  light  and  the  life  of  a  new  motive 
and  dynamic. 

The  passion  for  salvation  made  the  words  of  Jesus  lowly 
in  form  and  pregnant  with  hope  for  his  own  generation. 
The  penitent  appeal  of  one  struggling,  despairing  soul  was 
more  to  him  than  the  scholarly  adulations  of  the  entire 
rabbinical  world.  The  success  of  his  preaching  attests  the 
value  of  simplicity  as  an  element  of  style.  Men  and  women 
of  small  ability  found  enough  in  his  preaching  to  fit  their 
needs  and  impel  them  into  his  discipleship,  wffiile  a  few  of 
the  nobler  sort  gave  dignity  to  the  ministry  of  the  Nazarene. 

3.  PHRASEOLOGY. — The  choice  of  words  guarantees 
or  debars  simplicity  of  style.  Certain  wTords  convey  the 
impression  of  heaviness,  ornateness,  involution,  or  simplicity. 


188 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  did  not  make  adornment  of  style  a  primary  factor  in 
his  choice  of  words.  Their  beauty  is  incidental  to  the  great¬ 
ness  of  his  mission  and  his  message.  His  spiritual  depths 
might  not  be  appreciated  by  his  audience,  but  such  dulness 
was  due  to  heart  rather  than  head.  His  exalted  truths  did 
not  meet  full  acceptance,  because  the  people  preferred  their 
own  debased  ideals  of  the  Messiah  and  his  kingdom.  Words 
and  phrases  were  familiar,  though  filled  with  new  contents 
and  broader  applications.  Jesus  declared  that  submission 
to  God’s  will  should  be  the  condition  of  understanding  the 
message  which  came  from  God  through  himself.  Jesus 
spoke  the  language  of  the  common  people,  both  Greek  and 
Aramaic  doubtless  being  current  and  well  known.  Per¬ 
spicuity  was  thus  fundamental  to  his  simplicity. 

III.  Simplicity  and  the  Congregation 

1.  SIMPLE  FOLK. — The  Palestine  of  Jesus’  day  con¬ 
tained  a  peasantry  of  simple  tastes  and  pursuits.  The 
storm  and  stress  of  modern  civilization  had  not  arisen.  Life 
held  its  troubles,  ambitions,  trades,  professions,  hopes,  and  joys, 
but  these  were  all  less  complicated  and  imperious  than  those 
of  the  Occident  of  to-day  and  even  the  Orient  has  now  lost 
something  of  its  millennial  placidity  and  lethargy.  General 
culture  was  not  very  widely  prevalent  or  sought.  The 
rabbinical  learning  claimed  the  attention  of  students.  The 
people  were  simple-hearted  and  free  from  multiplied  wants. 

Jesus  did  not  hold  himself  aloof  from  these  simple  folk, 
but  sought  them  that  he  might  give  them  his  best  thought  in 
modes  of  expression  that  would  afford  them  a  growing  com¬ 
prehension.  He  poured  out  his  supreme  revelation  of  him¬ 
self  and  his  truth  to  these  children  of  narrow  horizon.  The 
learned  and  the  ignorant  need  the  same  truth  but  in  dif¬ 
ferent  forms. 


HIS  SIMPLICITY 


189 


Having  chosen  a  ministry  to  simple  people,  conscious 
that  the  heart  can  be  moved  only  through  intelligent  accept¬ 
ance  of  truth,  Jesus  adapted  his  message  to  the  mental  ability 
of  his  audiences,  at  least  in  sufficient  measure  to  secure  some 
response,  while  serving  for  later  enlargement  of  understand¬ 
ing.  These  simple  people  appealed  to  Jesus,  for  they  were 
as  defenceless  as  straying  sheep  without  the  shepherd.  He 
spoke  to  them  in  the  language  of  their  own  simplicity,  but 
packed  his  words  with  new  meaning,  which  many  later 
generations  should  unfold  and  apply. 

2.  AN  ORAL  GOSPEL. — Jesus  did  not  write  his  book  of 
theology  or  ethics,  nor  even  suggest  the  need  of  an  authentic 
report  of  his  words  by  his  companions.  He  delivered  his 
message  to  constantly  changing  audiences  without  further 
preparation  for  permanency  than  the  memory  of  his  apostles. 
Our  present  Gospels  were  written  after  the  death  of  the 
Preacher.  This  oral  form  of  preaching  made  simplicity  an 
essential  characteristic  of  Jesus’  style.  Reference  to  a  writ- 

V 

ten  statement  of  his  preaching  would  have  enabled  Jesus 
to  cast  his  message  in  more  learned  form,  hence  he  sought 
the  best  ends  by  his  method  of  oral  forms.  Not  the  reader 

V 

even  of  ordinary  talents,  but  the  casual  listener  of  poor 
ability,  were  in  mind  in  his  ministry.  An  oral  gospel  should 
mean  a  simple  statement. 

A  further  indication  of  the  demand  for  simplicity  in  an 
oral  gospel  is  found  in  Jesus’  expectation  that  his  disciples 
would  remember  his  words.  He  committed  his  truth  to  the 
lives  and  memories  of  his  followers,  convinced  that  they 
would  grow  into  a  larger  appreciation  of  his  ministry  and 
assuring  them  of  the  enlightening  and  illustrative  presence 
and  leadership  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  should  specially  em¬ 
power  the  nascent  church.  Simplicity  would  aid  the  memory 
while  it  need  not  hinder  the  depth  of  revelation.  The  simple 


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THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


beauty  of  the  lily  appears  in  varying  degrees  to  the  sense  of 
the  ploughman,  the  scientist,  and  the  poet. 

IV.  Simplicity  and  the  Preacher’s  Life 

1.  THE  SIMPLE  LIFE. — The  modern  advocates  of  the 
simple  life  could  have  found  their  chief  representative  in  the 
case  of  the  Man  of  Galilee.  His  personal  wants  were  few, 
and  these  found  ready  supply  in  the  gentle  ministries  of  the 
women  who  saw  and  worshipped  his  divinity. 

His  program  of  royalty  did  not  call  for  display  and  splendor, 
since  his  kingdom  would  transcend  the  limits  and  glory  of 
earth’s  pawn-like  monarchies.  His  dress  and  habits  did  not 
exalt  him  above  his  simple  fishermen  friends,  with  whom  he 
delighted  to  associate.  With  conscious  dignity  of  the  right  to 
receive  attentions  he  accepted  social  invitations,  preferring 
the  hosts  whom  the  community  described  and  shunned  as 
publicans  and  sinners;  he  did  not  consider  it  a  social  error  to 
take  his  rough  fisher  apostles  to  these  functions,  nor  did  he 
seem  at  all  embarrassed  that  he  could  not  return  the  courtesy, 
for  his  plans  forbade  a  home-life,  save  possibly  for  a  brief 
time  in  Capernaum.  Untrammeled  by  engagements,  free 
and  cordial  in  his  friendships,  condemning  religious  cant  and 
sham,  Jesus  lived  a  simple  life.  Simplicity  and  lethargy  in 
his  case  did  not  syncronize. 

2.  THE  SIMPLE  AMBITION. — It  need  not  appear  in- 
congrous  to  use  the  word  ambition  to  designate  the  impulse 
of  this  Peerless  Preacher.  His  life  was  committed  to  an 
inflexible  purpose.  He  felt  the  ethical  imperative  toward 
Saviourhood.  To  reach  this  goal  he  must  become  the 
Evangelist  of  his  own  evangel.  He  must  bear  to  men  the 
story  of  God’s  possible  redemption  for  sinful  men,  and 
confirm  God’s  love  in  an  incarnation  of  love  and  forgive¬ 
ness  which  only  the  self-directed  course  to  the  Cross  and 


HIS  SIMPLICITY 


191 


the  self-surrender  for  the  task  of  expiation  for  sins  could 
satisfy. 

His  desire  was  not  to  be  quoted  by  posterity  as  a  man  of 
letters,  a  philosopher,  or  an  earthly  king.  His  sufficient 
memorial  should  be  found  in  the  age-long  pilgrimage  of  the 
soul  to  the  Cross  which  he  saw  in  his  path.  His  ambition 
for  Saviourhood  took  precedence  over  every  other  motive, 
confirming  his  sorrows  and  sufferings  as  preparatory,  simplify¬ 
ing  his  forms  of  address  that  some  poor  sinner  might  see  the 
coming  redemption,  and  centering  all  efforts  upon  this  con¬ 
summation  of  the  ages  of  revelation  and  divine  methods  of 
salvation. 

3.  THE  CRYSTAL  SOUL.— Jesus  had  the  crystal  soul. 
All  things  came  to  him  without  the  shadows  of  doubt,  sin, 
and  defeat.  His  soul,  undefiled  with  selfishness  and  victorious 
over  the  tempter,  looked  upon  the  world  with  unmixed 
desires  and  aspirations.  His  motives  were  clean,  his  purposes 
just,  his  deeds  merciful,  his  words  gentle,  and  his  sacrifice 
absolute.  His  simplicity  was  that  of  a  limpid  soul,  crystal 
in  its  unshaded  experiences,  brotherly  in  its  regard  for  the 
oppressed,  and  divine  in  its  ability  to  help.  The  fountain  of 
eternal  life  could  not  issue  in  a  murky  stream.  The  simplicity 
of  truth  and  love  attaches  to  his  words  and  deeds. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


THE  ORIGINALITY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  question  of  Jesus’  originality  did  not  arise  among  his 
contemporaries.  It  does  not  occur  in  the  records  of  his 
ministry.  Modern  scholars  have  sought  to  discover  evidence 
to  prove  that  this  term  does  not  belong  to  Jesus,  and  yet  he 
will  continue  to  impress  the  world  with  his  incomparable 
greatness.  Originality  is  a  term  of  degrees  rather  than  of 
kind.  Absolute  originality  would  mean  isolation  from  the 
thought  of  the  past  and  the  contact  of  the  present.  The 
mountain  arises  out  of  the  plain  to  which  it  is  joined  and  by 
which  it  is  measured. 

Transcendence  may  become  a  synonym  for  originality. 
In  this  sense  the  preaching  of  Jesus  was  supremely  original. 
No  other  preacher  or  teacher  has  at  all  approached  his  great¬ 
ness.  He  did  not  need  to  assert  his  originality  according  to 
our  modern  methods,  but  he  fully  realized  that  his  work  of 
preaching  and  healing  could  not  be  classed  with  the  service 
of  any  other  person.  Without  reflecting  upon  others  one  can 
affirm  the  pre-eminence  of  the  Nazarene  in  his  ministry. 

I.  Originality  and  Environment 

1.  HEREDITY. — Jesus  was  the  child  of  culture.  Upon 
him  focalized  the  previous  forces  of  his  ancestral  and  national 
education.  He  received  the  ordinary  inheritance  of  the 
Hebrew  boy  whose  incipient  conscious  mental  life  had  been 
fixed  by  the  culture  and  environments  of  his  race.  The  larger 

192 


HIS  ORIGINALITY 


193 


forces  of  the  world’s  thoughts  and  deeds  had  so  played  over 
Palestine  as  to  give  a  definite  type  to  the  intellectual  life  of 
the  boy,  whose  inclinations  turned  toward  pious  pursuits. 
Jesus  had  his  initial  contact  with  the  world  determined  for 
him.  He  was  the  child  of  the  centuries.  Whatever  heredity 
could  bring  to  him  he  accepted,  for  he  was  essentially  joined 
to  the  blood  of  his  ancestry  through  his  mother.  The  typical 
inheritance  came  to  him. 

But  Jesus  was  far  more  than  the  product  of  heredity.  His 
incarnation  as  a  son  of  Israel  ordained  his  Israelitish  culture, 
while  his  transcendence  over  his  contemporaries  can  find  no 
adequate  explanation  except  in  originality.  He  was  all  that 
any  Hebrew  boy  could  be,  but  he  was  also  what  no  other 
could  be.  After  all  possible  recognition  is  given  to  heredity 
and  its  power,  there  yet  remains  the  specialty  of  ministry  and 
character  to  explain. 

He  conserved  in  his  preaching  every  worthy  element  of 
his  Hebrew  culture  and  went  far  beyond  what  these  might 
have  prophesied.  Joined  to  the  past,  moved  by  the  present, 
he  determined  the  future  modes  of  religious  thought  and 
service.  His  exaltation  above  other  men  wins  for  him  the 
glory  of  originality.  To  become  the  Son  of  man  Jesus 
became  the  child  of  culture;  to  fulfil  a  Saviourhood  for 
sinners  and  to  empower  his  ministry  to  make  effective  such 
a  mission,  his  life  had  to  widen  in  character  and  work  until 
it  reached  beyond  mortal  horizons. 

2.  CUSTOMS. — Jesus5  preaching  reflected  the  customs, 
habits  of  thought,  and  laws  of  his  times.  It  could  not  have 
been  otherwise.  He  must  make  himself  partly  intelligible  to 
his  audiences.  Any  page  of  the  Gospels  will  show  this  fact. 
Observe  the  women  at  the  mill,  the  Scripture-reading  in  the 
synagogue,  the  children  at  play,  fastings,  alms-giving,  and 
feasts. 


13 


194 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Jesus  was  the  master  of  customs.  He  did  not  allow  them  to 
determine  his  preaching.  With  boldness  and  asserted  author¬ 
ity  he  criticised  and  transgressed  customs  in  order  to  give  his 
own  interpretations  upon  questions  whose  meaning  and 
limits  these  customs  had  pretended  to  fix.  His  originality 
could  raise  institutions  and  customs  above  the  low  external- 
ism  of  the  Pharisees  and  give  them  place  amid  the  immortal 
hills  of  grace  and  truth.  He  could  dare  assert  the  higher  law 
for  man  than  the  quietism  of  an  unsympathetic  Sabbath,  and 
could  risk  his  reputation  by  helpful  fellowship  with  the 
sinners.  He  would  not  be  limited  save  by  his  own  greatness. 

Jesus  has  been  charged  with  the  accommodation  of  his 
preaching  to  the  current  thought  of  his  times.  It  is  claimed 
that  he  simply  shared  the  narrow  and  erroneous  ideas  of  his 
contemporaries  on  many  subjects  of  his  ministry,  and  hence 
there  is  little  originality  in  his  preaching.  Special  attention 
is  directed  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Messianic  Hope,  the  belief 
in  a  physical  resurrection,  the  teachings  about  fallen  angels, 
and  the  idea  of  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked.  Critics 
have  asserted  that  Jesus  ignorantly  accepted  these  and  other 
false  opinions  with  all  the  crassness  and  externalism  of  his 
day.  Other  critics  think  that  Jesus  used  these  doctrines  for 
his  own  preaching,  though  he  himself  did  not  really  believe 
in  them,  accommodation  being  easier  than  absolute  newness. 

Against  such  calumnies  we  protest.  The  jesuitic  method  of 
making  the  end  justify  the  means  has  no  more  justification  in 
doctrines  than  in  morals.  Jesus  was  competent  to  pass  upon 
the  current  theology  and  was  too  good  to  parade  his  ideas 
under  false  forms.  Whatever  current  statements  he  used  were 
filled  with  his  own  deeper  interpretation.  He  did  not  hesitate 
to  condemn  error.  Many  old  terms  had  become  effete  with 
the  accumulated  opinions  of  the  rabbis;  Jesus  put  new  life 
and  power  into  these,  because  he  gave  them  a  larger  spiritual 


HIS  ORIGINALITY 


195 


meaning.  His  genius  and  originality  transformed  the  old  to 
make  them  the  symbols  of  the  new  life  and  religion.  He  must 
be  interpreted  not  according  to  the  current  beliefs  but  accord¬ 
ing  to  his  new  accent  and  relations  of  these. 

3.  THE  SCRIPTURES. — Scholars  have  diligently  com¬ 
pared  the  words  of  Jesus  with  the  Old  Testament  to  indicate 
the  extent  of  his  dependence  and  the  narrowness  of  the  chance 
for  originality.  Sentences,  phrases  and  words  have  been 
cited  with  great  gusto.  It  can  not  be  doubted  that  the  inner 
life  of  Jesus  had  felt  the  formative  force  of  the  Old  Testament 
and  that  his  words  are  rich  in  its  phraseology,  and  yet  his 
originality  is  not  thereby  lessened. 

He  did  not  consider  that  his  ministry  was  committed  to 
the  sole  task  of  expounding  the  Scriptures.  His  originality 
exhibited  itself  in  his  unusual  treatment  of  the  sacred  litera¬ 
ture.  He  aroused  the  bitter  hatred  of  the  current  doctors  of 
the  law  by  his  boldness  in  offering  new  interpretations, 
changes,  and  even  additions  in  teachings.  He  claimed  for 
his  own  words  the  same  authority  that  had  long  been  assigned 
to  the  teachings  of  Moses,  Isaiah,  and  the  other  prophets. 

Out  of  the  Old  Testament  he  had  drawn  help  for  his  own 
experience  and  had  used  it  for  the  starting-point  for  his 
ministry,  but  his  genius  led  him  to  announce  what  had  not 
before  come  into  man’s  religious  horizon.  He  was  bold 
enough  to  be  original  in  his  affirmation  that  the  Mosaic  grant 
of  divorce  had  been  an  accommodation  to  the  demand  of  the 
hardness  of  men’s  hearts,  while  the  only  true  annulment  of 
marriage  could  be  recognized  and  declared  because  of 
marital  unfaithfulness.  He  transferred  the  sin  of  adulterv  to 
the  lustful  desire,  the  act  being  fully  condemned.  His  own 
self-sacrifice  should  replace  the  Mosaic  system  and  God 
should  be  known  as  the  Father. 

4.  NON-JEWISH  FORCES.— Many  efforts  have  been 


186 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


made  to  show  that  Jesus  received  a  non-Jewish  influence. 
Greek  philosophy,  Confucianism,  the  corrupted  Judaistic 
Essenism,  and  other  foreign  systems  have  been  suggested  as 
entering  into  the  thought  of  Jesus.  It  is  yet  to  be  demon¬ 
strated  that  he  really  came  into  actual  contact  with  these 
forces.  The  most  that  can  be  truthfully  said  of  these  alleged 
dependencies  is  that  the  thoughts  are  the  common  property 
of  all  religious  thought.  God  has  not  left  himself  without 
some  witness  in  the  aspirations  and  strivings  of  the  heart  for 
the  supreme  values  of  life,  even  though  the  people  have 
wandered  into  corrupt  heathenism.  Similarity  in  thought 
and  expression  does  not  indicate  dependence  always. 

Evidence  is  yet  wanting  to  show  that  Jesus  borrowed  from 
these  non-Jewish  ideas.  Jesus  confirmed  his  claim  to  origi¬ 
nality  by  his  stress  and  spirituality,  given  to  these  basal  grop- 
ings  for  truth.  He  brought  them  from  the  place  of  hope  and 
darkness  into  a  divine  authority  and  light. 

II.  Originality  in  Method 

1.  THE  MIRACLE  ACCESSORY.— The  homiletics  of 
Jesus  contained  the  miracle  accessory,  which  no  previous 
teacher  or  later  preacher  ever  distinctively  employed.  With 
the  Hebrew  prophets  there  had  been  sporadic  miracles  for 
definite  occasions,  and  later  apostolic  preaching  was  associa¬ 
ted  with  miracles  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  Jesus 
made  miracles  an  essential,  though  subordinate,  part  of  his 
homiletics.  It  was  his  unparalleled  originality  that  made  it 
possible  for  him  to  give  this  visible,  attractive,  and  unusual 
attestation  to  his  oral  ministry.  Imitations  of  this  method 
have  only  heightened  his  value.  In  this  homiletical  method 
he  differed  from  other  speakers  not  in  degree  but  in  kind. 
He  stood  alone. 

2.  DISCOURSE  FORMS. — There  is  originality  of  use 


HIS  ORIGINALITY 


197 


and  originality  of  invention.  Of  the  former  Shakespeare  is  a 
towering  example;  so  likewise  is  our  Lord.  The  ordinary 
forms  of  discourse  were  used  by  Jesus,  but  with  new  force. 
The  Hebrew  favorites  of  wisdom  sayings,  the  interrogation, 
humor,  irony,  invective,  persuasion,  and  the  parable  entered 
naturally  as  discourse  forms,  for  Jesus  adopted  the  speech  of 
his  day.  His  originality  here  was  in  degree,  not  kind.  He 
has  especially  immortalized  the  parable  as  a  homiletical 
instrument. 

3.  POWER  AND  AUTHORITY. — Jesus  wTas  original  in 
his  preaching  with  power  and  authority.  His  was  a  new 
note  in  public  discourse.  His  age  was  familiar  with  the  re¬ 
cital  of  second-hand  opinions.  New  thought  had  a  ban  upon 
it;  only  the  old  was  true,  even  though  the  infirmity  and  senility 
of  age  attached  thereto.  Yesterday  completed  the  time  limit 
of  thought;  there  could  be  neither  to-day  nor  to-morrow. 

But  Jesus  was  not  near-sighted.  Fresh  and  pungent, 
clear  and  catehv  for  the  memorv,  his  words  could  not  be 
compared  to  those  of  the  accredited  teachers  without  detri¬ 
ment  to  the  latter.  The  public  was  quick  to  notice  the  new 
method.  His  friends  rejoiced,  and  his  foes  were  provoked, 
to  recognize  his  genius  and  originality.  The  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  the  authority  of  immediate  knowledge  of  the 
truth  could  not  fail  to  give  his  homiletics  an  original  element. 

III.  Originality  in  Doctrine 

1.  NEW  ACCENTS. — Accent  is  interpretative  of  truth 
and  indicative  of  the  mental  ability  of  the  preacher.  To  make 
a  familiar  friend  radiate  a  new  glory  is  the  privilege  of  genius, 
artist,  poet,  inventor,  and  preacher,  sharing  the  common  aim 
with  varied  means.  Humility  had  been  accented  previously, 
but  Jesus  was  the  first  to  gird  himself  with  towel  to  bathe  his 
disciples’  feet  in  order  that  humility  might  have  a  fadeless 


198 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


example.  Men  had  before  spoken  of  brotherly  love  and 
forgiveness,  but  no  one  had  ever  stressed  them  into  symbols 
of  the  divine  graces.  The  Good  Samaritan  was  a  new  inter¬ 
pretation  of  the  brotherhood  of  man  seen  in  the  brotherhood 
of  need.  The  accent  of  Jesus  wTas  original. 

2.  NEW  TRUTHS. — Jesus  made  contributions  to  reli¬ 
gious  thought.  He  did  not  confine  himself  to  worn-out  truths, 
even  though  he  rejuvenated  them.  A  brief  citation  may  be 
made  of  these  new  revelations  of  Jesus.  He  preached  the 
fatherhood  of  God  as  applying  only  to  those  who  had  been 
joined  in  the  fellowship  of  nature  to  himself  through  the 
mediation  of  the  Son.1  From  him  came  the  doctrines  of  the 
new  birth,2  the  exaltation  to  greatness  through  humble 
service,3  the  personal  leadership  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
individual  and  corporate  life  of  Christianity,4  the  Church  as 
the  organized  force  for  righteousness  in  the  kingdom  of  God,5 
and  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers.6 

IV.  Originality  in  Person 

1.  CHRISTOLOGY. — His  personality  is  fundamental  to 
his  originality.  Christology  explains  homiletics.  Jesus 
remains  without  a  peer  in  preaching  because  no  other  ap¬ 
proached  his  person.  Apologies  are  made  for  men  on  the 
ground  of  their  age-limits  and  sins;  they  must  be  judged 
according  to  the  standards  of  their  times.  But  no  one  thinks 
it  necessary  to  speak  thus  of  Jesus.  His  originality  was  due 
to  his  unique  personality,  for  he  was  the  Son  of  God  and 
Son  of  man.  Back  of  his  words  was  himself.  Elements 
and  forces  of  deity  and  humanity  met  in  indescribable  and 
indivisible  unity.  One  may  think  into  separation  these  two 


1  Jn.  8:  42,  44;  14:  23. 
3Mt.  23: 11. 

5Mt.  16: 18,  19. 


2  Jn.  3:  3-8. 

4  Jn.  14:  26. 
e  Jn.  4:21-24. 


HIS  ORIGINALITY 


199 


sides  of  his  person  and  even  try  to  refer  certain  experiences 
of  his  life  to  each,  but  the  oneness  of  life  is  in  each  word  and 
act  of  Jesus.  He  was  the  original  and  Master  Preacher  be¬ 
cause  he  was  the  God-man. 

2.  ENDOWMENT. — Here  it  will  suffice  to  indicate  that 
Jesus’  mental  and  spiritual  endowment  were  not  in  the 
ordinary  measure.  Breadth  of  truth,  depth  of  understanding, 
and  sympathy  for  the  sinful  and  destitute  differentiated 
Jesus  from  other  persons.  His  inner  life  was  beyond  the 
range  of  men.  Intellect,  emotions,  and  will  functioned  more 
nobly  than  in  any  other  individual.  Jesus  had  more  of  him¬ 
self  to  put  into  his  discourses  than  other  preachers.  His 
ministry  reflected  his  endowment. 

V 

3.  SELF-COMMUNICATION. — Jesus  was  more  than  a 
formal  announcer  of  truth.  He  gave  himself  in  and  through 
his  preaching.  The  sincere  believer  in  his  message  felt  that 
somehow  the  graces  of  the  Preacher’s  own  life  had  flowed 
into  his  own.  Jesus  re-incarnated  his  message  in  the  lives 
of  his  followers.  A  creative  force  accompanied  the  delivery 
to  enable  the  penitent  heart  to  attain  the  benefits  of  a  new 
life;  invitations  to  discipleship  were  accompanied  by  an 
invisible  but  powerful  enabling  power  that  brought  the 
person  into  harmony  with  Jesus  at  least  in  essentials. 

Jesus  made  disciples  by  his  self-giving.  Personal  magnet¬ 
ism  and  grace  and  persuasive  oratory  would  not  suffice  to 
explain  this  element  of  his  originality.  He  so  imparted  him¬ 
self  to  men  as  to  make  them  like  himself.  No  other  teacher 
or  preacher  could  claim  such  originality.  The  later  Christian 
preaching  has  discovered  the  same  results  in  the  preaching  of 
Jesus  Christ;  lives  have  been  transformed  and  transfigured. 
In  his  own  ministry  Jesus  exercised  this  divine  prerogative. 
He  can  not  share  this  privilege  with  another;  he  remains  in¬ 
comparable  and  original. 


200 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


V.  Originality  in  Life’s  Outlook 

1.  HOMILETICAL  EGOISM. — Jesus’  preaching  was  orig¬ 
inal  in  its  homiletical  egoism.  His  outlook  upon  life  was 
personal  and  self-centered.  His  preaching  radiated  from 
himself.  What  he  would  be  and  do  in  the  history  of  men 
constituted  his  message.  This  was  his  prerogative,  declared 
in  his  words,  confirmed  in  his  deeds,  and  redeemed  in  his 
post-resurrection  effects  upon  men. 

Even  the  most  ambitious  aspirant  for  honors  would  hardly 
dare  to  imitate  Jesus  in  this  regard.  What  would  be  egoism 
in  Jesus  would  degenerate  into  egotism  in  another.  Lovers 
of  self  there  have  been  who  have  sought  their  own  prominence, 
but  they  have  usually  been  regarded  as  arrogant  impostors. 
It  seemed  natural  that  Jesus  should  have  filled  his  preaching 
with  himself.  His  outlook  wTas  from  within  outward. 

2.  NEW  WORLD-EPOCH. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  was 
original  in  its  prophecy  of  a  new  order  for  the  world. 
Through  him  and  his  preaching  a  new  state  of  religion  should 
come  into  being.  Let  a  few  cases  be  enough  to  justify  the 
contention. 

Jesus  called  the  Twelve  that  he  might  form  the  apostolate 
with  an  age-long  supremacy  over  the  forces  of  evil.  He  gave 
a  preliminary  outline  of  the  organic  principles  of  the  church, 
whose  mission  should  enlarge  with  the  years.  He  affirmed 
that  contact  with  God  could  come  only  through  himself  as 
the  Son  of  God.  He  invited  the  weary  and  heavy-laden  ones 
to  himself  for  rest  and  assumed  to  draw  all  men  to  himself. 
Other  men  have  had  their  Utopias,  but  Jesus  realized  his. 
His  preaching  held  out  for  the  world  a  new  epoch.  His  life, 
death,  and  influence  made  such  attainable.  He  was  original 
in  his  gift  of  a  new  perspective  and  a  new  start  to  the  world’s 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE  AUTHORITY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Authority  characterized  Jesus’  preaching.  Gathered  in 
Temple,  synagogue,  or  home,  grouped  in  the  freeness  of  a 
wayside  stop,  his  audiences  were  awed  by  this  strange  ele¬ 
ment  of  authority,  whose  rarity  was  as  attractive  as  perplex¬ 
ing.  Their  own  honored  leaders  had  not  been  like  this  new 
Preacher.  Chagrined  at  his  personal  applications,  angered 
at  his  rebukes,  comforted  by  his  promises,  enlightened  by 
his  wisdom,  accepting  or  rejecting  his  message,  his  varied 
auditors  were  compelled  to  confess  to  the  dignity  and  au¬ 
thority  of  Jesus’  preaching. 

I.  Authority  Expressed 

1.  IN  TONE. — The  voice  of  Jesus  rang  with  the  royal 
splendor  of  the  King  of  the  Ages.  The  consciousness  of 
kingship  lent  itself  to  his  speech,  giving  a  dignity  and  worth 
even  to  other  themes  than  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Character 
expressed  itself  in  the  tone  as  in  the  matter  of  his  preaching. 

Based  upon  his  consciousness  of  God,  vibrant  wdth  impor¬ 
tant  truths  for  the  world,  intensive  with  personal  applica¬ 
tions,  Jesus’  tone  of  authority  in  its  impassioned  tenseness 
carried  his  message  beyond  the  ceremonials  of  worship  into 
the  inner  life.  He  was  not  a  sycophant,  flattering  men  into 
his  cause.  Regardless  of  the  favor  of  the  privileged  classes 
and  despising  the  shams  of  the  accredited  leaders,  he  put 
into  his  preaching  the  note  of  authority  that  impelled  atten- 

201 


202 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


tion  and  directed  men  into  discipleship.  His  was  not  tlie 
hesitating  tone  of  a  seeker  for  truth.  He  spoke  with  tones 
that  sought  no  apology. 

2.  IN  ADDRESS. — Jesus’  personal  bearing  and  demeanor 
were  authoritative.  With  him  there  lacked  any  effort  to 
secure  the  good-will  of  men  by  acceptance  of  their  senseless 
traditions,  nor  would  he  attempt  to  conciliate  his  enemies 
who  might  have  the  advantage  of  social,  religious,  or  civic 
prominence  and  power. 

His  step  was  firm  and  confident  with  his  unalterable  pur¬ 
pose  of  salvation  for  the  lost  world.  With  undaunted  cour¬ 
age  he  looked  into  the  faces  of  his  foes,  scowling  with  disap¬ 
proval,  glaring  with  hatred,  or  contorted  with  envy.  He 
carried  himself  with  the  air  of  one  whose  resources  would 
not  fail  even  under  the  most  critical  and  severe  demands. 
His  manner  of  address,  his  customary  appearance,  and  his 
unbroken  serenity  evidenced  his  right  to  speak  with  assurance 
upon  themes  that  might  control  the  destinies  of  men  and 
nations.  In  his  first  visit  to  his  boyhood  home  of  Nazareth, 
when  his  fame  had  begun  to  spread,  his  application  of  the 
Scriptures  to  himself  caused  the  enraged  congregation  to 
lead  him  forth  with  the  intention  to  cast  him  from  the  cliff 
adjacent  to  the  city;  “but  he  passing  through  the  midst  of 
them  went  his  way.”  1  He  did  not  put  out  his  hand  in  objec¬ 
tion  to  the  plan,  but  somehow  his  manner  so  awed  and  cowed 
them  that  their  plan  failed. 

3.  IN  IMPERATIVES. — His  authoritative  preaching  fur¬ 
ther  exhibited  itself  in  his  imperatives.  Jesus  did  not  confine 
himself  to  the  optative  mood  either  in  his  inner  emotions  or 
his  outward  words.  He  commanded. 

Men  were  impressed  with  the  sense  that  obedience  would 
bring  welfare  and  joy,  while  disobedience  would  lead  to  ill 

1  Lk.  4 :  30. 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


203 


results.  The  demons  heard  his  voice  and  were  glad  to  escape 
into  their  former  habitat  in  the  dark  abyss.  The  sinful  man 
and  woman  turned  into  the  path  of  uprightness  and  disciple- 
ship  at  his  word.  The  fearful  disciples,  whose  hearts  were 
moved  with  wonder  that  Jesus  could  speak  to  the  turbulent 
sea  and  be  answered  with  a  great  calm,  voiced  the  prevalent 
impression  created  by  Jesus’  imperatives.  “Who  then  is 
this,  that  he  commandeth  even  the  winds  and  the  water,  and 
they  obey  him ?”  1 

II.  Authority  Compared 

1.  WITH  CURRENT  TEACHERS.— Jesus  taught  in  the 
synagogue  in  Capernaum.  “And  they  were  astonished  at 
his  teaching:  for  he  taught  them  as  having  authority,  and  not 
as  the  scribes.”  2  The  people  were  not  long  in  observing  the 
new  accent  in  Jesus’  method.  The  rabbinical  method  was 
familiar  to  them;  here  was  something  new.  The  scribes 
marketed  the  shelf-worn  opinions  of  illustrious  teachers  of 
the  past,  but  Jesus  offered  the  uncut  pages  of  a  new  revela¬ 
tion.  They  called  to  their  support  the  names  of  the  dead 
scholars,  but  he  never  cited  any  one  in  his  behalf;  his  own 
word  was  more  authoritative  than  that  of  all  ancient  scholar¬ 
ship. 

Jesus  did  not  care  for  the  aristocracy  and  traditionalism  of 
letters.  His  authority  differed  from  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 
in  its  source,  methods,  and  worth.  In  contrast  to  their 
authority  of  book  opinions,  ancient  traditions,  and  external 
ceremonials  he  presented  an  authority  of  personality,  origi¬ 
nality,  and  spirituality. 

2.  WITH  LATER  PREACHERS.— Jesus  spoke  in  his 
own  name  as  the  incarnation  of  truth.  Later  preachers  have 
been  discoverers  and  interpreters  of  truth.  His  authority  was 
1  Lk.  8:  25.  2Mk.  1:22. 


204 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


primary  and  personal,  theirs  secondary  and  interpretative. 
Prophet,  priest,  poet,  and  preacher  with  their  visions  of  the 
eternal  verities  have  been  subject  to  the  conditions  of  the 
nature  and  author  of  truth  for  their  personal  appreciations, 
for  as  seers  and  apostles  they  have  been  forceful  and  useful, 
but  limited,  in  their  concepts  and  declarations  of  truth. 
Jesus  alone  among  men  had  the  right  to  assert  his  pre¬ 
eminence.  “  I  am  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life.” 

The  Christian  ministry  dares  not  arrogate  to  itself  even 
the  faint  likeness  to  his  authority.  His  is  the  only  voice 
without  uncertainty  in  commands  and  preaching. 

III.  Authority  Challenged 

1.  HIS  CRITICS. — Fearful  of  the  turn  of  popular  favor 
from  themselves  toward  Jesus  and  unwilling  to  endure  this 
degradation,  the  religious  leaders  strenuously  resisted  the 
authority  of  Jesus.  The  scribes  and  Pharisees  were  specially 
interested.  They  saw  the  increasing  weight  that  came  from 
this  new  accent  of  certainty  and  authority. 

2.  THEIR  CHALLENGE. — Recall  here  the  former  dis¬ 
cussion  of  the  polemics  of  Jesus.  Added  to  the  numerous 
charges  against  Jesus  was  this  challenge  of  his  right  to  speak 
with  authority  and  finality  upon  religion.  This  opposition 
went  beyond  a  general  attitude  of  antipathy  and  became  defi¬ 
nite  and  serious  in  its  direct  and  formal  challenges  against 
his  authoritative  manner  and  words. 

This  new  homiletical  method  of  the  Nazarene  brought 
the  methods  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  into  an  unwilling 
eclipse.  They  became  offended  at  him  because  they  were 
really  opposed  to  crowning  Jesus  as  Master  over  their 
thoughts.  Intellectual  and  professional  pride  stood  in  their 
way  to  prevent  such  abdication  in  his  favor.  Instances  of 
special  mention  of  his  authority  and  frequent  demands  for 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


205 


signs  show  how  large  a  place  this  homiletical  trait  held  in 
provoking  their  hatred  to  Jesus.  They  presented  a  quasi- 
legal  challenge  in  requesting  his  credentials  for  his  Temple 
ministry,  but  their  real  spirit  had  been  previously  demon¬ 
strated  in  efforts  to  entrap  him  in  word  or  deed.  Jealousy 
is  a  keen  inventor  of  weapons.  The  repeated  calls  on  him 
for  justification  of  his  methods  were  really  based  on  their 
knowledge  that  his  authority  far  out-classed  their  methods 
and  abilities  and  would  easily  win  the  people  away  from  their 
leadership. 

The  scribes  and  Pharisees  would  have  limited  Jesus  to 
the  parrot  way.  They  would  have  denied  him  the  right  to 
work  miracles  and  to  preach  with  freshness.  Let  him  return 
to  the  ancient  fathers  for  his  statements  of  truth.  But  Jesus 
did  not  enter  such  bondage  to  the  past.  His  word  came  with 
authority. 

IV.  Authority  of  Personality 

1.  SELF-ASSERTION. — Jesus’  note  of  authority  was  due 

*/ 

largely  to  his  self-assertion.  His  authority  did  not  depend 
primarily  upon  a  codified  system  of  revealed  truths.  He 
made  extensive  use  ,of  the  Old  Testament,  but  he  did  not 
base  his  right  to  speak  with  authority  upon  his  similarity  to 
or  fulfilment  of  the  teachings  found  there.  He  recognized  in 
this  sacred  literature  the  divine  message  for  ages  past,  but 
for  the  present  and  future  needs  of  men  he  regarded  his  own 
words  as  of  equal  authority  and  force.  In  his  own  life  he  was 
his  own  final  source  of  appeal,  since  he  and  the  Father  were 
one. 

The  authority  of  a  book,  however  sacred  and  high  in  origin, 
may  become  ineffective  because  unread  and  therefore  power¬ 
less  to  indicate  the  applications  of  truth  to  special  cases. 
The  authority  of  personality  becomes  communicative  and 


206 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


directive  for  duties.  The  heart’s  throbs,  the  variety  of  end¬ 
less  contact,  and  the  adaptability  to  actual  needs  were  resi¬ 
dent  in  Jesus’  authority  of  personality. 

This  personal  element  Tvas  extended  further  and  became 
self-assertive.  Inexplicable,  subtle,  powerful,  the  force  of 
personality  lay  behind  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  The  man 
behind  the  message  is  not  less  useful  and  directive  of  success 
than  the  man  behind  the  gun.  The  sermon  in  ideal  is  really 
the  preacher  expressed.  Omitting  reference  to  the  claims 
and  offices  of  Jesus,  it  may  yet  be  affirmed  that  he  was  author¬ 
itative  in  preaching  because  he  impressed  himself  upon  his 
audiences.  Without  personal  appropriation  and  incarna¬ 
tion  of  the  preached  wTord  the  preacher  would  be  only  the 
spokesman  of  platitudes  and  generalities.  Preaching  and 
almsgiving  are  bound  by  the  common  law. 

“Not  what  we  give,  but  what  we  share; 

For  the  gift  without  the  giver  is  bare. 

Who  gives  himself  with  his  alms  feeds  three — 

Himself,  his  hungering  neighbor,  and  Me.”  1 

Jesus*  self-giving  gave  authority  to  his  ministry.  His 
preaching  was  neither  a  profession  nor  an  avocation,  but  a 
life,  his  message  coming  as  the  outflow  of  personality.  This 
spiritual  self-assertion  found  spontaneous  illustration  in 
the  contact  with  the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood.  The 
poor  timid  invalid  came  amid  the  crowd,  as  Jesus  was  on 
his  way  to  the  home  of  the  prominent  Jairus,  and  touched 
his  garment  with  trembling  fingers.  “  And  straightway  Jesus, 
perceiving  in  himself  that  the  power  proceeding  from  him 
had  gone  forth,  turned  himself  about  in  the  crowd,  and 
said,  Who  touched  my  garments?”  2  To  his  spoken  words 
he  gave  the  same  self-giving  that  had  so  quickly  and  wonder- 
1  Lowell,  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal.  2  Mk.  5: 30. 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


207 


fully  responded  to  the  appeal  of  the  wretched  woman.  Di¬ 
rectness  and  efficiency  were  thus  guaranteed  to  his  ministry. 

2.  DISCIPLESHIP. — Jesus  said,  “Follow  me,”  and  men 
assumed  their  new  duties  of  discipleship  with  the  feeling  of 
satisfaction  from  right  conduct.  He  called  men  to  accept  his 
Mastership.  He  did  not  coerce  them  into  obedience,  but 
somehow  his  authority  impelled  them  to  find  in  him  their 
ambitions  realized,  their  joys  enlarged  and  purified,  and 
their  hearts  filled  with  peace. 

His  method  did  not  destroy  the  autonomy  and  initiative  of 
the  individual  will.  His  personality  and  mission  entered  into 
the  life  of  the  believer.  Those  who  answered  his  call  to 
service  rejoiced  in  their  reflection  of  his  glory  and  likeness, 
and  felt  no  restraint  in  their  preference  of  his  will  to  their  own. 
Regnant  over  the  material  world,  whose  laws  gave  no  discord¬ 
ant  token  of  infraction  by  his  spiritual  supremacy,  Jesus 
changed  not  his  claim  of  royalty  when  he  commanded  men  to 
submit  their  plans  to  his  direction,  to  forsake  their  homes  for 
his  sake,  and  to  recognize  his  right  to  rule  supremely  over 
men.  His  authority  wms  inclusive  of  lordship. 

In  the  success  of  his  leadership  in  his  own  day  and  in 
the  Christian  centuries  Jesus  rescued  from  presumption  his 
demand  for  absolute  trust  from  men.  His  personality  and 
destiny  confirmed  his  authority. 

Disregard  for  this  call  to  discipleship  brought  a  guilty 
conscience.  The  rich  ruler,  whose  record  had  been  so  upright 
and  legalistic,  received  from  the  new  Preacher  the  condition 
for  entrance  into  eternal  life:  “Come,  follow  me.  But  his 
countenance  fell  at  the  saying,  and  he  went  away  sorrowful.”  1 
Jesus  had  required  of  him  the  test  of  character,  the  exchange 
of  wealth  for  discipleship,  and  the  man  could  not  part  with 
his  money.  But  with  the  choice  there  went  the  consciousness 

1  Mk.  10:22. 


208 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


that  he  had  followed  the  lower  road.  His  sorrow  indicated  a 
recognition  of  Jesus’  authority.  A  bitter  conscience  testified 
to  the  truth.  The  foes  of  Jesus  doubtless  had  certain  prompt¬ 
ings  to  follow  him,  but  these  impulses  were  stifled  in  more 
intense  hatred  and  opposition  to  him. 

V.  Authority  of  Purpose 

1.  MESSAGE. — Jesus  spoke  with  the  authority  of  a  mes¬ 
sage  divine  in  origin  and  universal  in  its  application.  He 
did  not  come  for  philosophical  disputations  and  social  en¬ 
tertainment.  Definite  in  his  own  mind,  committed  to  him  by 
the  Father,  and  essential  to  the  welfare  of  men,  his  message 
was  worthy  of  attention  and  acceptance.  It  was  God’s 
promised  but  delayed  revelation  of  eternal  life  through  the 
Messiah.  It  carried  an  obligation  to  every  one  who  would 
enter  such  a  life.  Jesus  was  more  than  a  prophet  and  preacher 
of  righteousness.  His  demand  for  civic  righteousness  would 
have  justified  his  tone,  while  his  appeal  for  personal  integrity 
could  hardly  have  been  expressed  in  other  forms  of  address. 

Efforts  to  better  the  social  and  economic  conditions  of 
society  would  have  given  a  great  incentive  to  Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing,  which  greatly  affected  these  as  secondary  results,  but  his 
chief  concern  was  to  prepare  men  for  the  eternal  estate  of  the 
soul.  Upon  the  darkness  of  sin,  suffering,  and  human 
inequalities  in  the  strife  of  life  had  fallen  prophetic  glimmer¬ 
ings  of  the  future  world,  but  it  was  the  duty  of  Jesus  to  declare 
the  noonday  splendor  of  the  doctrine  of  immortality  with  its 
consequent  worth  to  the  present  life.  To  such  a  message, 
burdened  with  the  instruction  for  two  worlds,  there  could  not 
be  found  place  for  an  apologetic  tone.  The  tone  must  comport 
with  the  dignity  of  the  message. 

2.  MISSION. — To  his  message  Jesus  united  the  authority 
of  his  mission.  He  had  a  message  that  had  never  fallen  on 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


209 


human  ears;  he  had  a  mission  that  no  other  could  perform; 
a  message  to  deliver,  a  mission  to  accomplish. 

The  marvel  would  have  come  if  Jesus  had  not  spoken  with 
unusual  authority.  His  message  told  of  God’s  plan  for  human 
salvation,  his  mission  realized  this  plan;  his  message  was 
expressed  in  words  and  deeds,  his  mission  in  life  and  death. 
His  message  made  him  the  Preacher,  his  mission  the  Saviour. 
His  full  vision  of  himself  as  the  Man  of  Sorrows,  despised 
and  rejected  of  men,  his  anticipation  of  the  struggle  in  the 
shadows  of  Gethsemane,  his  prospect  of  Via  Dolorosa,  and 
his  insight  into  the  coming  tragedy  upon  the  Place  of  the 
Skull  gave  him  the  right  to  speak  absolutely  and  authorita¬ 
tively.  His  unique  advent  was  for  this  end. 

Peerless  in  personality,  isolated  in  greatness,  uniquely  the 
Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man,  and  gifted  with  a  world’s 
redemption,  Jesus  knew  that  his  mission  entitled  him  to 
speak  as  no  scribe  or  Pharisee  could  speak.  His  words  were 
full  of  grace,  strength,  and  confidence,  since  they  were  the 
children  of  his  purpose  to  fulfil  his  mission.  Not  once  do  we 
read  in  the  Gospels  of  his  lack  of  assurance.  He  kept  the 
unbroken  equation  of  his  message  and  his  mission.  There 
was  no  discord  between  duty  and  service  with  him. 

VI.  Authority  op  Relations 

1.  TO  GOD. — Jesus’  relation  to  God  gave  authority  to 
his  ministry.  The  Prologue  to  the  Fourth  Gospel  suggests 
some  of  these  relations.  The  Gospels  agree  in  sketching  from 
varied  angles  of  vision  the  same  Word  of  God.  Of  himself 
Jesus  said,  “  When  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man,  then  shall 
ye  know  that  I  am  he,  and  that  I  do  nothing  of  myself,  but 
as  the  Father  taught  me,  I  speak  these  things.”  1  The  same 
truth  of  relations  is  acknowledged  in  the  Intercessory  Prayer: 

i  Jn.  8:28. 


14 


210 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


“  The  words  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  unto  them.”  1 
Behind  the  Preacher  stood  the  Father,  loving,  helpful,  and 
omniscient.  Jesus  could  measure  his  authority  by  his  union 
with  the  Father.  More  fitly  than  prophet  or  seer,  wdiose 
visions  of  truth  would  be  limited  and  mediated  through  minds 
touched  by  sin,  Jesus  could  preach  and  declare  to  men  his 
holy  union  with  God  as  the  basis  for  his  ministry.  The  Son 
knew  what  lay  nearest  to  the  heart  of  God.  He  had  God’s 
authority. 

Jesus  departed  from  the  prophetic  custom  in  the  use  of  the 
formula,  “Thus  saith  the  Lord.”  He  never  used  it,  or 
appealed  to  a  higher  source  than  his  own  words  for  their  con¬ 
firmation.  This  intimate  fellowship  with  God  brought  him 
the  right  to  say,  “Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you.”  2  His  own 
words  were  to  be  obeyed  equally  with  those  of  the  Father. 
Out  of  the  depths  of  his  own  unity  with  God  and  his  own 
immediate  conception  of  truth  he  brought  his  message.  He 
really  exemplified  the  original  root  meaning  of  the  word 
“authority”  in  the  Greek  e%ovcr(a,  derived  from  e^ean 
(ifc  out  of,  iifjii  to  be).  The  ministry  of  other  days  must 
present  a  “Thus  saith  the  Lord”  for  its  delegated  au¬ 
thority. 

2.  TO  MEN. — Jesus  was  the  Son  of  man,  the  heir  of  all 
the  ages,  hence  he  could  preach  more  clearly  than  others  upon 
the  vital  problems  of  man’s  destiny.  The  myriad  voices  of 
men  in  distress  came  to  Jesus  as  calls  upon  his  sympathy. 
Men  were  saying, 

“  But  what  am  I  ? 

An  infant  crying  in  the  night: 

An  infant  crying  for  the  light: 

And  with  no  language  but  a  cry!  ”  3 

1  Jn.  17:  8.  2  Jn.  1:  51,  and  often. 

3  Tennyson,  In  Memoriam,  Canto  LIV. 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


211 


Jesus  answered  this  infant  cry  with  himself.  Upon  his 
heart  fell  the  shadows  that  saddened  others ;  the  minor  chords 
of  human  woe  made  his  own  heart-strings  quiver  with  the 
sympathetic  melody;  the  threnody  of  misfortune  and  the 
dirge  of  death  found  a  response  in  his  tenderness  and  help. 
He  entered  into  fellowship  of  a  common  life  with  his  fellow- 
men,  alive  to  their  disappointments,  touched  by  the  feeling  of 
their  infirmities,  tempted  with  their  struggles,  and  able  to 
succor  every  tempted  soul.  He  knew  the  trials,  aspirations, 
and  needs  of  men,  for  his  insight  into  life  was  piercing,  compre¬ 
hensive,  clear,  and  interpreted  by  his  own  experience. 

His  words  were  authoritative  with  the  strength  of  a  fulness 
of  his  entrance  into  the  entire  life  of  the  world.  His  mind 
and  heart  garnered  the  full  harvest  of  human  experience, 
excluding  the  thorns  and  thistles,  which  they  could  not  house. 
His  preaching  caught  the  authority  of  the  double  relationship. 
Out  of  his  complete  divine  Sonship  he  could  bring  the  message, 
which  could  be  applied  according  to  his  knowledge  of  men 
that  he  brought  from  his  complete  human  sonship, 

VII.  Authority  Correlated 

1.  TO  MIRACLES. — Though  not  thus  primarily  designed, 
Jesus’  miracles  accented  his  note  of  authority.  The  popular 
mind  was  easily  impressed  with  this  marvellous  display  of 
superhuman  power.  Misunderstanding  of  its  function  led 
the  people  to  ask  for  false  exhibitions  of  it,  expecting  that 
Jesus  would  satisfy  their  demands.  Those  who  had  been  the 
beneficiaries  of  this  power,  either  personally  or  from  family 
ties,  would  naturally  respect  the  word  of  the  miracle-worker 
and  consider  it  as  binding,  while  the  beholders  of  his  deeds 
could  but  acknowdedge  the  presence  of  the  extraordinary  in 
him. 

The  ability  to  force  disease  and  demons  to  forsake  the  body 


212 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


and  mind  carried  with  it  the  presumption  of  ability  to  speak 
duty  for  the  cured.  The  blind  man  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda, 
when  healed,  was  willing  to  brave  the  censure  of  the  leaders 
for  having  violated  the  ordinance  about  the  Sabbath,  for 
Jesus  had  given  him  what  no  other  person  had  attempted  to 
bestow.  It  might  be  wrong  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  traditions,  but  the  rejoicing  man  accepted  the  word 
of  his  benefactor.  This  relation  of  miracles  to  his  authority 
needs  but  a  reference  to  emphasize  it  as  true. 

2.  TO  FORGIVENESS. — Power  to  forgive  sins  lent  au¬ 
thority  to  Jesus’  preaching.  More  than  once  he  made  the 
penitent  sinner  rejoice  over  the  gift  of  forgiveness.  When 
criticised  for  this  Jesus  attested  his  right  by  miracles.  It 
would  be  as  easy  to  do  the  one  as  the  other.  The  case  of  the 
Capernaum  paralytic  correlated  the  two  prerogatives  of  the 
Son  of  man.  God  had  revealed  himself  in  Jesus  that  men 
might  have  the  blessing  of  forgiveness  personalized  and 
applied. 

Through  this  divine  right  Jesus  caught  the  ear  and  heart 
of  the  sinner  whom  all  other  teachers  had  spurned  and 
despised,  but  whom  Jesus  made  the  basis  of  his  work.  In  two 
worlds  his  word  became  supreme — the  world  of  the  penitent 
sinner  and  the  world  of  the  rejoicing  saint. 

VIII.  Authority  Limited 

1.  BY  THE  SOUL’S  RIGHT  OF  CHOICE.— The  preach¬ 
ing  of  Jesus  was  not  with  the  authority  of  spiritual  des¬ 
potism.  He  respected  the  dignity  of  man  as  a  selecting 
intelligence.  The  soul  has  the  supreme  right  of  choice, 
competent  to  follow  the  narrow,  upward  path  that  leads  to 
the  eternal  city,  or  to  walk  the  broad,  popular  road  whose 
end  is  lost  in  the  pit  without  bottom,  the  wailing-place  of  the 
damned. 


HIS  AUTHORITY 


213 


Jesus  offered  the  privilege  of  life  or  death;  but  he  recog¬ 
nized  the  free  and  sovereign  soul,  whose  destiny  another  could 
not  assign.  Here  obtained  the  limitation  of  the  law  of  free 
personality.  The  great  Preacher  held  this  inviolable.  He 
would  not  compel  a  free  man,  though  the  compulsion  would 
bring  the  higher  destiny  and  joy.  Motives  to  stir  the  soul 
to  act,  incentives  to  right  conduct,  and  instruction  as  to  the 
right  were  given,  but  not  coercion.  This  pristine  and  essential 
right  of  the  soul  was  respected.  It  limited  his  authority. 

2.  BY  JESUS’  LIFE-PLAH. — The  general  treatment  of 
the  place  of  authority  in  religion  belongs  to  theological 
philosophy,  and  our  study  is  limited  to  homiletics.  It  is  here 
pertinent  to  remark  that  Jesus  himself  limited  his  authority 
according  to  his  life-plan.  He  came  to  save  sinners,  not  to 
exploit  wonderful  theories.  He  confined  his  authority  and 
themes  to  religion.  Ambition  for  honor  as  poet,  philosopher, 
or  scientist  did  not  disturb  the  serenitv  that  came  to  him 

• '  -  t/ 

through  the  consciousness  that  he  was  doing  the  will  of  God 
and  in  so  doing  was  accomplishing  the  most  possible  for  men. 
The  religious  sentiment  is  the  most  vital  and  powerful  of  all 
human  capacities.  Jesus  spoke  to  this  part  of  men.  He  did 
not  make  excursions  into  by-ways  of  truth.  He  spoke,  and 
men  have  learned  to  believe  in  the  finality  of  his  words, 
because  he  kept  to  his  purpose  of  Saviourhood. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  POWER  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  was  a  preacher  with  spiritual  dynamics.  His  preach¬ 
ing  was  in  power,  insistent  for  attention,  directive  for  con¬ 
duct,  and  creative  of  character.  The  pulpit  to-day  seeks  a 
dynamic  that  guarantees  the  reception  of  the  message  and 
meets  the  desire  of  the  pew  for  a  man  with  power.  Jesus 
was  thus  gifted. 

I.  The  Power  of  Personal  Magnetism 

1.  ACCESSIBILITY. — Jesus  wras  not  a  hermit.  He  did 
not  reserve  his  ministry  to  the  favored  few  to  whom  inter¬ 
views  might  be  granted  for  social,  civil,  or  religious  considera¬ 
tions.  He  walked  the  lowly  path  of  men. 

“Where  the  many  toil  together,  there  am  I  among  my  own; 

Where  the  tired  workman  sleepeth,  there  am  I  with  him  alone.”  1 

He  entered  the  hut  of  the  poor  and  the  palace  of  the  rich, 
preached  in  both  synagogues  and  the  Temple,  and  touched 
elbows  with  saint  and  sinner.  He  was  accessible  to  all  men 
with  their  manifold  varieties  of  life  and  varied  calls  upon 
his  favor.  He  was  under  the  public  eye  almost  constantly, 
seasons  for  quiet  meditation  and  prayer  being  occasional 
and  difficult  to  secure. 

Personal  magnetism  was  contributed  through  this  contact 
with  men.  Because  of  this  openness  of  approach  to  him, 
the  people  felt  that  they  shared  his  life,  their  burdens  could 

1  Van  Dyke. 

214 


HIS  POWER 


215 


be  placed  on  him,  and  their  frailties  and  sins  known  and 
forgiven.  The  pressure  of  the  hand,  the  look  of  the  eye,  and 
the  physical  nearness  condition  personal  magnetism,  since 
one  is  rarely  moved  by  the  distant  person  with  whom  there 
have  been  no  face-to-face  relations.  The  recluse  may  win 
reverence,  regard,  and  even  awe,  but  he  will  never  through 
his  personality  attract  men  to  himself.  The  man  among 

N 

men  stirs  the  affections  that  bind,  quickens  the  imagination 
to  nobler  visions  of  truth,  and  incites  men  to  heroic  action. 
Jesus  had  this  dynamic  of  personal  magnetism.  The  door 
of  his  heart  was  always  open  to  the  guest. 

2.  GRACIOUSNESS. — The  churl  is  never  magnetic.  The 
man  of  gracious  bearing  and  considerate  deeds  has  the 
power  to  attract  men,  to  mould  them  to  his  aims,  and  to 
make  disciples.  Whether  or  not  we  can  think  of  Jesus  with 
smiles  and  laughter,  the  records  show  that  he  was  gracious 
and  gentle,  friendly  and  magnetic. 

Sent  of  the  Father  to  teach  men  the  way  of  goodness,  and 
commissioned  to  a  personal  evangelism  of  love  and  sacrifice, 
Jesus  put  into  his  ministry  the  attractive  graciousness  that 
was  prophetic  of  his  later  ability  to  draw  all  men  to  himself. 
He  gave  attention  to  every  occasion  with  a  compassionate  re¬ 
gard  for  the  needy  ones  who  might  come  at  inappropriate  times 
and  bring  work  to  the  tired  Preacher.  His  evangel  of  salva¬ 
tion,  mediated  through  his  own  life  as  a  ransom  for  sin,  was  de¬ 
clared  with  a  magnetism  that  gave  it  power  to  reach  the  hearts 
of  men  wdiile  it  indicated  the  greatness  of  the  Preacher. 

3.  THE  PERSONAL  EQUATION.— The  personal  equa¬ 
tion  may  not  be  definitely  defined,  but  it  lies  behind  preach¬ 
ing.  The  intangible,  moulding,  spiritual,  and  personal 
element  of  character  must  be  added  to  any  formal  analysis 
of  magnetism.  What  the  preacher  is  will  determine  the  power 
of  his  ministry.  The  power  of  personality  is  stronger  and 


216 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


more  enduring  than  that  of  word  or  deed.  The  memory  may 
slip  its  hold  upon  these  externals,  but  the  life  will  continue 
its  influence.  Accessibility  and  graciousness  must  be  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  personal  equation  to  secure  magnetism.  In 
many  ways  this  third  is  the  most  important  trait.  Jesus  had 
the  dynamic  soul.  He  was  essentially  magnetic.  He  was 
the  heart’s  magnetic  pole. 

II.  The  Power  of  Delivery 

1.  VOICE. — Jesus’  voice  of  authority  contributed  to  his 
power.  His  delivery  was  confident  and  authoritative,  be¬ 
cause  in  his  inner  life  there  were  no  misgivings  about  doc¬ 
trine  and  lax  convictions.  His  vocation  required  his  voice 
of  power.  Apology  and  conciliation  do  not  create  the  im¬ 
pression  of  power.  In  his  delivery  Jesus  compelled  notice 
even  by  his  tone. 

2.  COURAGE. — The  Alan  of  Galilee  was  a  man  of  cour¬ 
age.  His  correct  judgment  of  men  and  crises  gave  him  un¬ 
erring  insight  into  dangers  which  he  could  avert  or  meet 
while  his  enemies  sought  to  entrap  him  in  wTord  or  deed. 
His  woes  against  intrenched  wickedness  and  Pharisaical 
hypocrisy  showed  his  fearlessness.  He  was  not  abashed  at 
the  notice  of  the  governor,  who  would  fain  have  killed  him. 
To  Herod  he  sent  this  message:  “Go  and  say  to  that  fox, 
Behold,  I  cast  out  demons  and  perform  cures  to-day  and 
to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  am  perfected.”  1 

He  would  not  soften  his  call  for  personal  repentance  and 
piety,  by  which  men  might  appropriate  the  benefits  of  the 
Alessianic  kingdom,  even  though  this  high  ideal  of  religion 
might  enrage  the  religious  formalists  and  lead  them  to  at¬ 
tempt  to  create  popular  opposition  to  himself.  Courageous 
and  careless  of  personal  dangers,  he  delivered  his  Father’s 

1  Lk.  13:32. 


HIS  POWER 


217 


message.  If  his  truths  attacked  the  social  and  religious  vices 
of  his  day,  the  duty  of  readjustment  should  be  for  the  of¬ 
fended  classes,  since  he  could  not  alter  his  criticisms.  There 
is  no  intimation  in  the  Gospels  that  he  ever  shrank  from  the 
bitter  hatred  and  influential  power  of  his  foes,  whose  wrath 
could  go  so  far  as  to  cause  them  to  gnash  their  teeth  and  to 
plot  violence.  His  undaunted  soul  faced  them  with  calmness, 
without  retraction  of  statements,  and  without  a  lowered  eve. 

The  same  courage  that  stood  before  his  enemies  turned 
to  his  disciples  and  friends  to  accuse  them  of  false,  temporal 
views  of  the  kingdom.  He  charged  his  apostolate  with  nar¬ 
rowness  and  lack  of  faith;  he  condemned  their  unseemly 
strife  for  pre-eminence  in  the  coming  kingdom,  and  indicated 
defects  and  lapses  in  service  even  in  his  favorites.  His  was 
the  power  of  a  courageous  delivery.  The  coward  can  have 
but  an  incidental  control  over  an  audience.  Men  delight  to 
respond  to  the  oratory  of  a  great  soul,  in  his  own  life  victori¬ 
ous  and  manlv. 

«/ 

3.  DIRECTNESS. — This  is  a  valuable  element  of  deliv¬ 
ery.  Jesus  preferred  the  short  way  to  the  heart;  he  would  not 
ramble.  His  method  of  direct  application  was  intended  to 
reach  the  audience  and  differed  materially  from  that  of  his 
contemporaries,  who  lacked  in  orginality  and  immediateness. 
The  intense  enmity,  the  penitent  confessions,  and  the  joyful 
fellowship  of  new  converts  testified  variously  to  the  power 
of  Jesus’  direct  appeal.  He  distributed  to  each  individual 
his  portion.  Such  preaching  could  not  escape  power  and 
efficiency. 

V 

III.  The  Power  of  Adaptation 

1.  TO  OPPORTUNITY. — The  orator's  opportunity  came  to 
Jesus  naturally.  He  knew  when  and  what  to  speak.  The 
preacher  must  seek  the  right  moment  for  his  message.  The 


218 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


book  may  await  the  mood  of  the  reader,  but  the  public 
speaker  must  discern  his  opportunity,  which  may  pass 
quickly  and  beyond  recall.  He  must  read  the  signs  of  the  times. 

Jesus  adapted  himself  to  the  shifting  occasions.  A  storm 
could  furnish  him  the  time  to  reprove  his  faithless  disciples; 
criticism  of  himself  for  companying  with  sinners  gave  him 
opportunity  to  deliver  the  three  parables  that  show  the  value 
of  even  one  lost  man;  he  could  condemn  the  avarice  of  the 
traitorous  treasurer  of  the  apostles  while  giving  the  prophecy 
of  Mary’s  endless  memorial  for  her  gift  of  precious  ointment. 
His  words  of  warning,  rebukes,  promises,  and  instruction 
in  discipleship  were  always  appropriate.  There  was  never 
discord  between  occasion  and  his  plans.  He  did  not  mis¬ 
place  his  energy. 

2.  TO  SUPREME  NEEDS. — The  soul’s  supreme  needs 
were  fitly  met  by  Jesus’  preaching.  He  adapted  his  ministry 
to  the  real  issues  of  life.  The  primacy  of  the  spiritual  life 
was  declared  in  his  command,  “Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of 
God.”  He  could  easily  have  suggested  an  economic  program, 
have  become  a  social  reformer  upon  lines  of  external  improve¬ 
ment  in  environments,  have  preached  a  crusade  against 
tyranny  in  government,  and  have  set  himself  up  as  the  judge 
to  settle  private  disputes;  but,  however  worthy  these  might 
have  been,  he  preferred  to  limit  his  course  to  a  ministry  to 
the  supreme  needs  of  men,  which  are  resident  not  in  outward 
conditions,  civil  welfare,  or  legal  morality,  but  in  spiritual 
obedience  to  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  each  act  and  thought 
of  the  inner  life.  He  could  move  men  to  discipleship  upon 
this  centralizing  theme  and  purpose. 

The  balances  would  not  evenly  stand  with  a  lost  soul  and 
the  whole  w^orld  in  either  side.  Jesus  chose  the  greater 
value  and  preached  his  gospel  of  individual  worth  and  salva¬ 
tion.  His  adaptation  was  accurate,  hence  powerful. 


HIS  POWER 


219 


3.  TO  VARIETY  OF  CHARACTERS.— The  audiences 
of  Jesus  gave  him  a  great  variety  of  characters,  increasing 
thereby  the  chance  for  failure  to  adapt  the  preaching  to  the 
individual  needs.  All  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  gathered 
to  hear  him.  The  fundamentals  of  nature  obtain  in  all 
people,  but  the  variety  of  individual  expression  is  almost 
proportionate  to  the  number  of  people.  But  Jesus  knew 
how  to  meet  each  case  upon  its  own  merits.  The  proud  and 
impenitent,  the  poor  in  spirit  and  worldly  goods,  the  penitent 
sinner,  and  the  earnest  disciple  all  grouped  around  Jesus 
for  his  direction.  Errors  of  judgment  and  treatment  did 
not  mar  his  ministry.  He  did  not  lose  power  through  mis¬ 
takes. 


IV.  The  Power  of  Kingship 

1.  MESSIANIC  CONSCIOUSNESS.— Behind  his  public 
ministry  lay  the  Kingship  of  Jesus.  He  knew  himself  to  be 
the  promised  Messiah.  This  Messianic  consciousness  was 
personal  and  definite,  giving  form  and  powTer  to  his  plans  of 
work.  The  early  periods  of  his  ministry  did  not  show  any 
wavering  of  this  idea,  though  he  did  not  give  the  same  promi¬ 
nence  to  his  Messianic  vocation  then  as  later. 

His  incarnation  as  the  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man  gave 
him  this  absolute  assurance  of  his  Messiahship,  denials  of 
which  are  made  by  scholars  who  seek  to  eliminate  the  mirac¬ 
ulous  from  the  life  and  work  of  Jesus.  His  own  heart  was 
filled  with  the  idea  of  reigning  over  the  hearts  of  men  as 
their  King,  not  with  hopes  of  personal  glory  alone  but  of 
help  toward  their  salvation.  Jesus’  preaching  reflected  this 
inner  confidence  that  he  only  among  men  had  the  right  to 
indicate  the  duty  of  all  others. 

2.  MESSIANIC  ATTESTATION.—  Everv  credential  to 

\f 

Jesus’  ministry  increased  his  power.  Confirmation  of  his 


220 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Messiahship  brought  enlarged  influence  over  men.  God 
gave  abundant  evidence  of  his  approval  to  his  Anointed 
through  the  heavenly  voice  at  the  baptism,  the  transfigura¬ 
tion,  the  sinless  character,  the  miracles,  and  the  other  proofs 
of  Jesus’  divinity.  The  attested  Messiah  became  the  power¬ 
ful  Preacher. 

3.  MESSIANIC  RECOGNITION.— The  threefold  gift  of 
Kingship — the  Messianic  consciousness,  the  Messianic  attes¬ 
tation,  and  the  Messianic  recognition — gave  to  the  preaching 
of  Jesus  the  power  of  complete  authority.  As  recognition  of 
his  Messiahship  grewT  his  power  enlarged,  for  his  followers 
became  enthusiastic  in  telling  others  the  glad  tidings. 

V.  The  Power  of  Miracles 

1.  PHYSICO-SPIRITUAL. — The  power  of  the  miracles 
of  Jesus  was  physico-spiritual.  From  him  wTent  forth  energy 
to  heal  the  sick,  the  cure  being  effective  without  the  special 
attention  of  Jesus,  as  in  the  case  of  the  woman  with  the 
issue  of  blood.  Both  physical  and  spiritual  infirmities  felt 
his  power,  which  may  not  be  fully  analyzed,  but  which  may 
be  observed  in  its  results.  The  word  dynamics  is  a  good 
designation  of  his  miracles.  Therapeutics  have  furnished 
methods,  but  the  final  reasons  for  miracle  power  are  yet  to  be 
discovered. 

2.  HOMILETICAL. — Miracles  afforded  Jesus  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  speak  with  more  power.  Men  were  attracted  to 
him  and  impressed  by  this  extraordinary  accessory  of  preach¬ 
ing.  The  worker  of  miracles  appeared  larger  and  more 
competent  to  direct  thought  than  a  preacher  without  this 
gift.  All  nature  had  given  him  obedience,  and  human  nature 
easily  fell  under  the  same  spell  of  this  dynamic  person¬ 
ality. 


HIS  POWER 


221 


VI.  The  Power  of  Thought 

1.  DEPTH. — Jesus  was  a  profound  thinker.  Eternal  in 
its  significance,  in  content  revealing  the  needs  of  life,  and 
burdened  with  the  salvation  of  a  lost  world,  the  thought  of 
Jesus  dealt  in  the  fundamentals  of  thought  and  reached 
depths  which  the  human  mind  could  not  fathom.  He  did 
not  deal  in  trivial  and  surface  truths.  He  uncovered  to  the 
earnest  thinker  the  spiritual  verities  that  lie  deep  down  in 
the  fulness  of  divine  wisdom.  Only  a  thoughtful  message 
could  hold  the  attention  of  the  scholars  of  all  times.  Jesus 
is  yet  the  subject  of  investigation,  and  his  words  have  not 
lost  their  charm  and  power. 

2.  PENETRATION. — The  thought  of  Jesus  penetrated 
the  superficialities  and  religious  cant  of  his  day  and  came  to 
the  real  issues  of  life.  Beneath  the  cold  formalism  and 
burdensome  ceremonialism  his  message  reached  to  vivify  the 

O  V 

heart  and  life.  There  was  no  condition  of  sin  and  suffer¬ 
ing  that  he  could  not  touch,  no  anguish  that  he  could  not 
relieve,  no  despair  that  he  could  not  turn  to  hope,  and  no 
callous  heart  that  he  could  not  soften. 

3.  COMPLETENESS. — The  message  of  Jesus  was  com¬ 
plete,  revisions  and  additions  being  needless.  His  thought 
was  symmetrical  and  full.  All  departments  of  human 
knowledge  did  not  enter  his  plan,  but  upon  religion  he  gave 
all  the  light  that  men  would  need  in  his  time.  He  laid  the 
foundation  for  a  larger  revelation  when  men  should  be  able 
to  receive  it,  after  his  own  ministry  should  open  their  minds 
to  God’s  new  method  of  worship.  Speaking  to  the  basal 
experiences  of  men  and  knowing  their  natures,  Jesus  delivered 
a  comprehensive  and  final  message.  His  principles  for 
religious  worship  and  service  may  apply  to  every  possible 
occasion  known  to  men. 


222 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


VII.  The  Power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 

1.  BIRTH  OF  JESUS  . — The  birth  of  Jesus  was  mediated 
through  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  reverent  student  must  confess 
to  great  mystery  here  and  should  appreciate  the  holy  reticence 
with  which  the  Gospels  record  the  event.  The  angel  Gabriel 
gave  the  wondering  Mary  this  message:  “The  Holy  Spirit 
shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall 
overshadow  thee:  wdierefore  also  the  holy  thing  which  is  be¬ 
gotten  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God.’’  1  Another  brief 
record  is:  “Now  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  was  on  this  wise: 
When  his  mother  Mary  had  been  betrothed  to  Joseph,  before 
they  came  together  she  wras  found  with  child  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.”  2 

The  doctrine  of  the  Virgin  Birth  is  here  declared.  Mat¬ 
thew  and  Luke  evidently  intended  to  teach  that  the  birth  of 
Jesus  was  due  to  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  unmediated 
by  the  ordinary  processes  of  fatherhood.  Questions  of  physi¬ 
ology  and  psychology  relative  to  this  event  have  not  had 
satisfactory  statement,  nor  does  the  present  widespread 
discussion  of  the  doctrine  give  indication  of  their  final  settle¬ 
ment.  Acceptance  of  the  mystery  and  the  miracle  seems  the 
better  course.  The  method  of  the  event,  the  limitations  of 
deity,  and  the  exaltation  of  womanhood  may  call  for  con¬ 
tinued  wonder,  but  these  will  not  hinder  belief  in  the  real 
and  engaging  fact  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God  in  a  way 
that  no  other  person  has  been  or  could  be.  The  Holy  Spirit 
entered  into  such  relations  with  the  Virgin  Mary  as  to  exert 
a  physical,  spiritual,  and  formative  force  over  the  inception 
of  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus. 

This  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  birth  gave  to  Jesus’ 
preaching  the  element  of  strength  and  divinity.  Since  father- 
iLk.  1:35.  2Mt.  1:18. 


HIS  POWER 


223 

hood  transmits  nature  and  partial  likeness  even  in  earthly 
generation,  Jesus  bore  the  impress  of  the  character  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  whose  personal  effects  would  linger  beyond 
the  conception  and  prenatal  life  of  the  Son  and  stretch  out 
to  the  end  of  his  days.  Child  of  the  generating  Spirit  of 
God,  Jesus  translated  his  Sonship  into  terms  of  human  sal¬ 
vation  and  brotherhood.  His  homiletics  received  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  his  person,  fathered  and  characterized  by  the  Spirit 
for  his  earthly  life. 

2.  EXPERIENCE  OF  JESUS.— In  word  and  symbol 
John  the  Baptist  testified  concerning  the  Mighty  One  who 
should  be  so  great  that  he  himself  would  not  be  worthy  to 
unloose  his  sandals:  “He  shall  baptize  you  in  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  in  fire/’  1  “ The  same  is  he  that  baptizeth  in  the  Holy 

Spirit.”  2  The  ministry  of  Jesus  was  to  give  direction  to  the 
Spirit’s  operations.  The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  what¬ 
ever  its  nature  and  significance  might  be  to  Christian  experi¬ 
ence,  would  be  under  the  command  of  Jesus,  whose  power 
lay  partly,  then,  in  his  right  and  ability  to  baptize  in  the 
Spirit. 

The  Spirit’s  descent  upon  Jesus  at  his  baptism  had  a  real 
value  in  his  preaching.  The  Father  attested  his  favor  toward 
the  Son  in  this  way.  If  the  public  did  not  behold  this  symbol 
of  the  Spirit,  Jesus  and  John  the  Baptist  saw  and  heard, 
and  through  them  the  public  learned  the  story.  Care  must 
be  had  not  to  rob  this  event  of  its  meaning  and  help  in  the 
experience  of  the  Son,  conscious  of  his  Sonship  but  needing 
the  divine  touch  and  assurance.  Knowing  this  descent 
upon  Jesus,  the  people  would  be  impressed  with  his  power. 

This  descent  of  the  Spirit  operated  in  another  way  to  the 
advantage  of  Jesus.  His  incarnation  of  the  eternal  Word 
brought  him  into  certain  human  limitations.  The  philosophy 
i  Nit.  3: 11  2jn.  i;33. 


224 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


of  the  incarnation  has  not  yet  been  adequately  discovered 
and  described.  Efforts  to  resolve  his  unified  experiences 
into  human  and  divine  facts  fail  of  a  true  appreciation  of  his 
wonderful  life.  His  life  entered  fully  into  fellowship  with 
men  and  so  could  appropriate  the  full  fellowship  of  the 
Spirit.  It  may  not  be  confidently  asserted  what,  if  any, 
change  occurred  in  his  Messianic  consciousness  with  this 
coming  of  the  Spirit.  At  the  beginning  of  his  public  life  and 
work,  and  in  such  spectacular  form,  this  descent  of  the 
Spirit  could  not  mean  less  than  the  assurance  to  the  Son 
that  his  ministry  would  have  the  constant  and  dynamic  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  Spirit.  The  prophet  Isaiah  beheld  such  relations. 

The  leadership  of  the  Spirit  was  given  completely  to 
Jesus.  This  leadership  is  significantly  stressed  in  reference 
to  his  temptations  just  after  his  baptism;  Matthew  and 
Luke  use  the  word  “led,”  while  Mark  has  “driveth.”  Luke 
further  adds  that  Jesus  was  “full  of  the  Holy  Spirit.”  1  At 
dEnon  John  the  Baptist  testified  that  God  “giveth  not  the 
Spirit  by  measure.”  2  After  the  imprisonment  of  the  Fore¬ 
runner  “  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into  Gali¬ 
lee.”  3 

These  passages  show  that  Jesus  fully  felt  the  leadership 
of  the  Spirit,  who  would  signify  duty,  assure  success,  cheer 
in  disappointment,  and  establish  Jesus’  work.  He  could 
not  have  been  more  fully  dowered  and  empowered  for  his 
mission  and  ministry.  He  reached  to  the  limit  of  the  Spirit’s 
place  in  a  life,  though  that  life  be  more  than  human.  The 
Spirit  inspired  the  thought  of  Jesus,  enlightened  the  minds 
of  his  auditors,  and  brought  to  fruition  in  a  full  harvest  his 
seeds  of  truth. 

Through  the  Spirit  Jesus  cast  out  demons.  When  charged 

1  Lk.  4:1;  Mt.  4:1;  Mk.  1:12.  3Jn.  3:34. 

3  Lk.  4 :  14. 


HIS  POWER 


225 


with  being  in  league  with  the  prince  of  demons,  Jesus  replied: 
“But  if  I  by  the  Spirit  of  God  cast  out  demons,  then  is  the 
kingdom  of  God  come  upon  you.”  1  The  cure  of  the  demo¬ 
niacs  was  but  a  special  feature  of  his  miracle  ministry.  It 
would  be  a  just  inference  to  consider  that  all  his  miracles 
were  performed  through  the  power  of  the  Spirit. 

The  Seventy  returned  to  Jesus  with  their  -wonderful  story 
of  success;  they  w^ere  happy  that  they  had  gone  far  beyond 
their  hopes.  Jesus  received  them  graciously.  “  In  that  same 
hour  he  rejoiced  in  the  Holy  Spirit.”  2  Here  is  a  glimpse 
into  his  inner  life,  a  heart-throb.  The  inner  life  of  Jesus,  of 
which  joy  is  typical,  felt  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  and  so 
manifested  itself  in  his  preaching. 

3.  WORDS  OF  JESUS.— The  Holy  Spirit  further  indi¬ 
cated  his  power  in  the  life  of  Jesus  in  his  wTords.  The 
Preacher  came  to  offer  men  the  privilege  of  a  new  life,  whose 
inception  should  be  illustrated  by  the  ordinary  process  of 
life  in  beginning.  In  his  conversation  with  Nicodemus  and 
again  in  the  discourse  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  Jesus 
referred  to  this  new  start  in  spiritual  destiny  as  due  to  the 
Spirit.  Jesus  recognized  that  his  purposes  of  salvation 
would  be  accomplished  through  the  powder  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
as  he  might  bring  home  to  the  individual  the  preached  words. 

Twice  the  Jews  charged  Jesus  with  being  in  league  with 
Beelzebub,  Jesus  responding  with  the  remark  about  blas¬ 
phemy  against  the  Spirit:  “Whosoever  shall  speak  against 
the  Holy  Spirit,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither  in  this 
world,  nor  in  that  which  is  to  come.”  3  Such  was  his  estimate 
of  honor  that  belonged  to  the  Spirit. 

Jesus  promised  the  Holy  Spirit  to  his  disciples  when  they 
should  be  true  to  their  office  as  witnesses  and  should  be 

iMt.  12:28.  2  Lk.  10:21. 

3Mt.  12:32. 

15 


226 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


compelled  to  appear  before  councils  and  tribunals.  He  should 
be  the  Comforter  and  Guide  for  all  the  ages  to  those  who 
would  be  led  into  the  truth.  Great  power  attached  to  this 
promise,  for  his  followers  would  be  filled  with  comfort  and 
joy  in  the  knowledge  that  their  Preacher  had  the  right  so  to 
promise.  The  dark  days  of  the  future  would  not  disquiet 
them.  Jesus  had  the  full  empowerment  of  the  Spirit  for  his 
preaching. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


THE  UNIVERSALS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  was  a  cosmopolite  in  his  preaching.  The  spread  of 
Christianity  in  later  centuries  received  the  impetus  toward 
the  ends  of  the  world  through  the  spirit  of  its  founder. 
Though  he  limited  himself  in  person  to  the  narrow  country 
of  Palestine,  he  did  not  bind  himself  in  a  provincialism  of 
ideas.  His  preaching  was  formed  upon  certain  great  bases 
of  thought  and  sympathy.  His  universals  declare  his  right 
to  be  considered  as  a  Preacher  to  the  world. 

I.  The  Universal  of  Contact 

1.  A  PREACHER  TO  MEN. — Jesus  preached  to  men 
and  women.  He  left  the  rabbinical  schools  and  methods  to 
the  rabbis  with  their  limited  numbers  of  pupils.  His  place 
was  among  the  jostling  and  sinning  multitudes.  It  was 
without  effort  on  his  part  for  him  to  secure  an  audience  at 
any  time.  He  was  frequently  forced  to  slip  away  from  the 
eager  crowds  to  secure  times  for  meditation  and  prayer.  At 
least  in  his  ability  to  gain  attention  Jesus  was  a  popular 
Preacher.  His  reception  was  not  always  cordial,  but  his 
preaching  never  failed  of  a  hearing.  His  journeys  into  the 
various  parts  of  the  country  were  intended  to  bring  more 
people  into  touch  with  his  ministry.  The  value  to  his  homi¬ 
letics  from  this  universal  could  hardly  be  over-stressed. 

2.  THE  FAVORITISM  OF  NEED.— Saint  and  sinner  min¬ 
gled  freely  in  the  audiences  of  this  Preacher  with  whom 

227 


228 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


there  were  no  favorites  except  those  of  need.  The  sarcastic 
slur  of  his  enemies  has  really  passed  into  an  encomium: 
“How  is  it  that  he  eateth  and  drinketh  with  publicans  and 
sinners?”  1  There  were  no  hearts  of  compassion  for  these 
classes,  undesirable  and  unreached  by  the  religious  leaders. 
“And  when  Jesus  heard  it,  he  saith  unto  them,  They  that 
are  whole  have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but  they  that  are 
sick:  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners.”  2  The 
imprisoned  and  disturbed  John  the  Baptist  was  assured  of 
the  correctness  of  his  judgment  that  the  Nazarene  was  the 
Messiah  when  he  received  the  report  that  the  great  Preacher 
had  made  a  specialty  of  the  poor  and  distressed  people, 
for  whom  no  other  teacher  had  ever  cared  or  offered 
help. 

While  these  defectives  were  gladly  welcomed  into  the  full 
privileges  of  his  audiences  and  his  kingdom,  they  were  not 
the  only  people  who  came  to  hear  Jesus.  The  extremes  of 
social  conditions  met  in  his  congregations.  Nicodemus  was 
learned  and  influential;  the  centurion  of  Capernaum  was 
probably  rich  and  powerful;  Zacchseus  combined  riches  and 
sins;  the  rich  ruler  was  a  model  of  legalistic  righteousness 
and  morality  and  had  but  one  fault.  Jesus  spoke  to  a  cosmo¬ 
politan  audience.  The  chief  priests  and  scribes  were  not 
sincere  and  teachable,  but  they  were  eager  and  critical 
listeners. 

This  favoritism  of  need  regarded  the  state  of  character  as 
well  as  external  and  bodilv  needs.  The  condition  of  contact 
with  Jesus  was  the  individual’s  recognition  of  dependence 
upon  him.  He  did  not  prefer  the  poor  simply  because  of 
their  poverty  or  because  poverty  and  ignorance  are  virtues; 
the  rich  man  could  come  to  him  with  the  same  confession 
of  guilt  and  desire  for  purity  and  find  in  him  a  royal  recep- 
iMk.  2:16.  2Mk.  2:17. 


THE  UNI  VER  SALS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


229 


tion,  and  yet  he  did  not  bow  to  the  golden  sceptre.  Each 

man  must  enter  the  same  door  of  humility  and  trust. 

«/ 

Jesus  did  not  share  the  current  exaltation  of  wealth  as  a 
token  of  the  diyine  blessing,  nor  did  he  unduly  dignify 
poverty.  Each  person  must  have  an  individual  consciousness 
of  right  relations  with  God,  and  this  fellowship  could  be 
mediated  only  through  the  Son,  who  required  contact  with 
himself  from  the  professed  saint  and  the  notorious  outcast. 

His  preaching  levelled  all  barriers  and  false  standards, 
reducing  men  to  the  common  ground.  The  soul  must  be 
bared  for  his  eye.  He  gave  to  Zacchreus  the  same  cordial 
attention  that  had  been  granted  to  the  poor  blind  beggar 
whom  he  had  healed  upon  the  edge  of  Zacehseus’  city.  While 
they  might  help  in  appreciation  of  the  preaching  from  the 
individual's  angle  of  vision,  social,  racial,  educational  and 
religious  attainments  and  distinctions  could  not  influence 
his  preferment  or  contact.  His  preaching  was  intended  for 
all,  regardless  of  human  lines  of  worth.  His  universals  and 
his  individualism  complete  his  personal  contact  with  men. 

II.  The  Universal  of  Discipleship 

1.  JEW  AND  GENTILE. — The  surprise  of  Nicodemus 
was  natural.  The  doctrine  of  the  second  birth  was  startling 
in  its  newness.  Jesus  was  willing  to  grant  discipleship  to 
any  one  who  would  appropriate  the  new  birth.  Judaism 
had  become  narrow,  bigoted,  nationalistic,  and  selfish. 
Discipleship  with  Jesus  would  produce  a  religion  universal 
in  its  invitations,  humble  in  its  graces,  and  unselfish  in  its 
purpose.  The  arrogant  sons  of  Abraham  resented  this 
demand  for  a  new  birth  as  the  condition  for  entrance  into 
the  Messianic  kingdom. 

Jesus  was  not  disturbed  or  deflected  from  his  plans  by 
their  wrath.  He  broadcast  his  invitations  to  discipleship, 


230 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


accidents  of  birth  and  landed  rights  being  neither  necessary 
helps  nor  hindrances  to  entrance.  The  twice-born  of  any 
land  might  come  to  him.  The  penitent  heart  could  utter 
its  desire  in  any  tongue.  Jew  and  Gentile  should  no  longer 
be  warring  factors  in  religion.  There  should  henceforth  be 
neither.  The  future  contrast  would  be  between  the  non- 
Christian  and  the  Christian,  wherever  might  be  the  home  or 
whatever  the  speech.  The  World’s  Rest  Call  is  universal  in 
grace:  “  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest.”  1 

Jesus  touched  the  Gentile  world  briefly  in  his  ministry, 
but  sufficiently  to  exhibit  his  attitude  toward  national  lines. 
The  Syrophoenician  mother,  the  centurion  of  Capernaum, 
and  the  embassy  of  the  Greeks  bring  individuals  into  his 
notice.  His  treatment  of  these  and  his  system  of  religion, 
according  to  the  prophetic  forecasts,  admit  of  nothing  but  a 
view  of  his  universalism  of  discipleship. 

2.  THE  WORLD-FIELD. — Since  Jew  and  Gentile  are 
terms  of  the  past,  the  universal  of  service  for  the  entire 
world  would  be  but  a  corollary,  even  though  Jesus  had  not 
spoken  of  it.  Upon  every  disciple  in  Jewish  or  Gentile  parts 
falls  the  commission  to  give  a  service  of  evangelization  to 
the  rest  of  the  w^orld.  The  Risen  Lord  summarized  his 
preaching  in  its  missionary  intentions  in  two  great  impera¬ 
tives:  “Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in 
all  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth.”  2  The  point  of  departure  would  be  Jerusalem  only 
because  this  had  been  the  centre  of  the  national  life  and  re¬ 
ligion.  The  initial  point  of  service  now  must  be  the  home  of 
each  disciple.  “All  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  on  earth.  Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples 
of  all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father 
iMt.  11:28.  2  Acts  1:8. 


THE  UNIVERSALS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


231 


and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit:  teaching  them  to 

observe  ail  things  whatsoever  I  commanded  you:  and  lo,  I 

am  with  vou  always,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world.”  1 
«/  «/ 

Personal  evangelism  should  be  the  method.  The  preaching 
of  Jesus  led  to  this  apostolate  of  missionary  conquest. 

III.  The  Universal  of  Speech 

1.  GENERAL  FORMS. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  con¬ 
formed  to  the  general  forms  of  speech.  The  bases  of  articu¬ 
lated  speech  are  universal.  He  did  not  create  newT  figures 
and  forms ;  he  used  those  current  in  the  Greek  and  Aramaic. 
The  records  of  his  ministry  are  intelligible. 

2.  RELIGIOUS  SPECIALTY. — Jesus  spoke  the  language 
of  the  heart.  Religion  is  the  most  universal  and  perma¬ 
nent  trait  of  men.  The  accent  of  Jesus  was  primarily  upon 
the  religious  life,  the  intellectual  statements  of  truth  being 
intended  to  direct  the  inception  and  activities  of  such  a  life. 
The  learned  and  the  ignorant,  each  giving  his  interpretation 
to  life  in  words  of  his  own  mental  ability,  share  the  common 
religious  experience  and  respond  to  the  same  stimuli.  Jesus 
was  sure  of  his  universal  access  to  men  when  he  chose  the 
religious  life  as  the  theme  of  his  preaching. 

IY.  The  Universal  of  His  Message 

1.  SIN  AND  SALVATION. — The  first  universal  of  his 
message  was  the  double  fact  of  sin  and  salvation.  The  uni¬ 
versality  of  sin  is  a  theological  commonplace,  which  found 
strong  emphasis  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  and  which  later 
knowledge  of  the  nations  of  the  world  has  confirmed.  “None 
is  good  save  one,  even  God.”  2  Sin  had  left  its  serpent's 
trail  upon  all  men;  the  wrath  of  God  abode  upon  the  world 
of  sinners.  Jesus  heard  the  wail  of  the  lost. 


i  Mt.  28: 19,  20. 


2  Lk.  18:  19. 


232 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Confession  of  sin  allowed  the  privilege  of  salvation.  Sin 
and  salvation  in  the  words  of  Jesus  were  complementary. 
The  prevalence  of  the  former  carried  with  it  the  possibility 
of  the  latter.  The  curse  of  sin  could  be  replaced  by  the  bless¬ 
ing  of  salvation.  Jesus  did  not  cast  the  shadows  of  the 
knowledge  of  sin  without  declaring  the  power  of  the  light. 
He  had  come  as  the  light  of  the  world  in  whom  there  could 
be  light  and  immortality  of  joy.  The  abounding  sin  might 
give  place  to  the  more  abundant  grace  and  salvation.  Sinner 
and  saint  are  prospective  and  retrospective  terms,  mutually 
descriptive.  With  the  utmost  authority  and  freedom  Jesus 
declared  the  sinfulness  of  men,  but  he  was  equally  certain 
that  men  could  be  saved  through  himself.  No  man  had  gone 
too  far  in  sin  to  be  beyond  redemption. 

This  universal  of  the  possibility  of  salvation,  itself  based 
upon  the  universal  of  sin,  demands  the  correlate  universal 
of  the  condition  of  salvation.  Jesus’  ministry  caught  up 
the  slogan  of  the  Forerunner,  “Repent  ye.”  The  need  for 
repentance  must  be  as  universal  as  the  fact  of  sin  and  the 
possibility  of  salvation.  Exceptions  to  this  rule  could  not 
occur.  Degrees  and  expressions  of  repentance  would  vary 
according  to  the  temperament,  age,  history  and  sinful  con¬ 
sciousness  of  the  penitent,  but  the  essential  attitude  of  the 
life  would  be  the  same.  To  this  doctrine  of  repentance  were 
joined  in  Jesus’  preaching  the  truths  of  conversion,  the  new 
life,  and  faith. 

The  universal  of  worship  develops  from  the  universals  of 
sin  and  salvation.  The  Samaritan  woman  was  surprised 
that  Jesus  should  speak  against  the  two  centres  of  worship. 
“The  hour  cometh  when  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  in 
Jerusalem,  shall  ye  worship  the  Father.”  1  Long  and  stated 
pilgrimages  to  sacred  places  of  worship  should  not  be  re- 

i  Jn.  4:21. 


THE  UNIVERSALS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


233 


quired  in  the  spiritual  order  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  The 
Holy  Spirit  would  inspire  true  worship  wherever  the  devout 
heart  should  turn  toward  God. 

This  universal  of  worship,  in  which  neither  temple  nor 
priest  would  be  instrumental,  and  shrines  would  be  those  of 
the  heart,  not  of  places,  meant  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
ancient  seat  of  authority  in  religion  and  transferred  interest 
from  the  centre  to  the  circumference.  Judaism,  the  religion 
of  forms  and  places,  should  give  place  to  Christianity,  the  re¬ 
ligion  of  spirit  and  universality.  Privileges  of  prayer,  praise, 
and  service  should  be  limited  only  by  the  heart’s  desire. 

2.  BROTHERHOOD  IN  CHARACTER.— Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing  created  the  universal  of  a  brotherhood  in  character.  Into 
this  brotherhood  age,  sex,  color,  social  station,  race,  and 
nationality  would  not  enter.  All  would  be  brethren  of  the 
common  Father,  with  Jesus  as  Elder  Brother.  The  brother¬ 
hood  is  one  of  character,  of  which  the  type  and  personal 
summary  were  found  in  Jesus  Christ.  The  natural  brother¬ 
hood  of  man  through  creation  has  been  reinforced  through 
the  social  brotherhood  of  man,  which  has  been  recognized 
as  the  gift  of  modern  discoveries  and  world  enterprises.  The 
brotherhood  of  character,  redeemed  and  Christlike,  is  far 
greater  than  these  others.  It  is  the  goal  of  redemption  and 
the  consummation  of  the  kingdom. 

V.  The  Universal  of  Personality 

1.  THE  BROAD  PREACHER. — Back  of  the  universals 
of  his  preaching  was  the  universal  of  personality.  The 
Preacher  was  more  than  his  preaching  and  broader.  Christ- 
ology  only  glorifies  homiletics.  All  that  men  might  hope  to 
be  localized  in  Jesus,  and  only  the  fringes  of  his  greatness 
were  touched.  He  was  the  universal  man  in  individual 
conditions.  His  personality  was  as  broad  as  the  universe. 


234 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


2.  THE  COMPETENT  SAVIOUR.— The  Preacher  was 
also  the  Saviour.  This  fact  gave  his  preaching  its  universals. 
The  heart  of  all  men  could  be  reached,  for  the  incarnated 
Son  came  to  tell  the  story  of  his  own  humiliation  and  sacri¬ 
fice  for  men. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  INDIVIDUALISM  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Individualism  was  a  dominant  trait  of  the  preaching  of 
Jesus.  This  element  may  best  be  studied  in  his  conversa¬ 
tions  and  personal  interviews.  The  ministry  of  conversation 
is  as  effective  as  that  to  the  congregation,  though  methods 
and  aims  differ.  Jesus  was  a  great  conversationalist,  match¬ 
less  in  ease  and  grace,  interesting  in  his  monologues  and  in 
his  replies  to  questions  from  a  single  auditor. 

I.  The  Persons  Approached  in  His  Individualism 

1.  ALL  SORTS  AND  CONDITIONS. — Jesus  was  a  cos¬ 
mopolite  in  his  contact  with  men  and  an  individualist  in 
his  application  of  truth  to  them.  His  mission  of  salvation 
for  a  world  precluded  any  favoritism  to  a  few  selected  for 
wealth  or  position  in  life.  He  met  face  to  face  all  sorts  and 
conditions  of  men,  in  order  that  he  might  declare  to  them  the 
universality  of  his  grace  and  the  individualism  of  its  personal 
appropriation  and  benefits.  His  conversations  gathered 
together  a  varied  personnel. 

The  Synoptics  record  an  instructive  series  of  interviews 
between  Jesus  and  certain  people.  These  may  be  listed  thus: 
Simon  Peter  (four  times),  a  demoniac,  a  leper,  a  paralytic, 
Matthew,  the  man  with  the  withered  hand,  the  centurion  of 
great  faith,  the  widow  of  Nain  and  her  dead  son,  Simon  the 
Pharisee,  the  sinful  woman  who  anointed  his  feet,  Jairus 
and  his  dead  daughter,  the  woman  with  the  issue  for  twelve 

235 


236 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


years,  the  heathen  but  faithful  Syrophoenician  mother,  a 
deaf  demoniac,  a  blind  man  at  Bethsaida,  a  father  and  his 
demoniac  son.  John  the  Beloved  Apostle  and  Son  of  Thun¬ 
der,  three  unknown  but  inquiring  men,  a  lawyer,  Martha, 
the  woman  with  the  eighteen-year  infirmity,  a  rich  ruler  who 
had  kept  the  law  but  could  not  attain  the  one  essential,  the 
renegade  penitent  Zacchseus.  These  twenty-eight  persons 
were  addressed  on  twenty-four  occasions  and  in  thirty-one 
conversations. 

The  Gospel  of  John  is  pre-eminently  the  Gospel  of  the 
Conversations,  since  it  gives  more  largely  than  the  others 
the  individualism  of  Jesus  as  expressed  in  his  interviews. 
These  cases  in  John  may  be  listed  thus:  Nathanael  the 
guileless,  the  gentle  Mary  who  treasured  in  her  mother 
heart  the  memory  of  the  words  of  and  about  her  divine  Son 
(twice),  the  perplexed  scholar  Nicodemus,  the  sinful  but 
appreciative  woman  of  Samaria,  a  nobleman  of  Capernaum, 
an  impotent  man  at  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  Philip,  a  blind 
man,  Martha,  Mary,  John,  Peter  (four  times),  the  high 
priest,  an  officer,  Pilate,  Mary  Magdalene,  Thomas,  the 
last  two  being  after  Jesus’  resurrection.  These  twenty-four 
conversations  were  held  with  seventeen  people. 

These  narratives  may  be  combined.  The  conversations 
were  often  brief  monologues  of  Jesus  and  some  were  direc¬ 
tions  for  his  miracles.  Six  disciples,  eleven  women,  two 
blind  men,  a  cripple,  a  paralytic,  a  leper,  a  rich  man,  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Sanhedrin,  a  social  outcast,  two  dead  people,  the 
learned  and  the  ignorant,  the  professed  saint  and  the  lib¬ 
ertine  make  a  variety  of  conditions  that  it  would  be  diffi¬ 
cult  to  surpass  for  homiletical  purposes.  Jesus  singled  out 
Peter  eight  times;  surely  the  days  of  darkness  for  this  im¬ 
pulsive  disciple  must  have  been  made  brighter  by  the  mem¬ 
ory  of  such  notice  from  his  Master.  After  his  resurrection 


HIS  INDIVIDUALISM 


237 


Jesus  spoke  individually  to  Mary  Magdalene,  Thomas,  and 
Peter. 

2.  SUBORDINATE  FIGURES.— These  conversations 
grouped  all  persons  into  subordinate  positions  in  order  to 
give  the  chief  place  to  Jesus.  And  yet  these  people  retain 
their  intense  individuality  and  interest  to  us,  the  Gospels 
making  the  records  so  artistically  that  no  figureheads  are 
made.  These  men  and  women  appear  to  us  with  their 
hearts  filled  with  passions  and  hopes.  Jesus  could  employ 
the  monologue  without  becoming  tiresome.  When  he  in¬ 
vited  interchange  of  thought  in  conversation,  he  did  not 
retire  to  the  second  place  in  attention.  As  a  conversationalist 
Jesus  drew  such  interest  as  to  dominate  the  course  of  thought, 
and  yet  men  were  glad  to  hang  upon  his  words  without 
thought  of  their  own  subordination.  He  was  the  chief. 

II.  The  Methods  of  His  Individualism 

1.  USE  OF  THE  CASUAL. — These  conversations  were 
spiritual  clinics  in  which  Jesus  dealt  with  the  individual 
soul.  Jesus  used  the  casual  incident  and  occasion  for  his 
homiletical  aims.  He  did  not  postpone  his  message  of  the 
higher  method  of  worship  to  the  appointed  hour  of  the  syna¬ 
gogue  service;  his  voice  was  accustomed  to  the  echo  of  the 
hills;  the  roadside  became  as  convenient  for  preaching  as 
the  dining-room  or  the  reception  hall;  a  chance  meeting  by 
the  curb  of  a  well  brought  its  opportunity;  the  housetop  was 
enough  of  an  auditorium  for  him  and  an  inquirer.  He  knew 
the  worth  of  the  passing  moment,  whose  conditions  might 
not  return  so  favorably.  Some  of  the  persons  who  shared 
the  benefits  of  these  conversations  might  not  have  had  an¬ 
other  opportunity  for  an  interview  with  Jesus.  It  was  now 
or  never.  The  Preacher  saw  the  destiny  of  each  single  mo¬ 
ment.  He  was  too  great  to  let  the  time  slip. 


238 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


2.  THE  CALL  OF  NEED. — Jesus  responded  to  the  call 
of  need  with  physical  and  mental  healing,  but  he  did  not 

forget  that  “the  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that 

© 

which  was  lost.”  1  He  could  graciously  restore  sight  to  the 
blind,  and  add  the  direction  for  the  greater  blessing :  “  Behold, 
thou  art  made  whole:  sin  no  more,  lest  a  worse  thing  befall 
thee.”  2 

Entitled  fully  to  be  called  the  Great  Physician,  Jesus  did 
not  confine  his  duty  to  cures.  Miracles  might  be  the  accom¬ 
paniments  of  his  work,  but  could  not  be  his  chief  task.  The 
Christian  centuries  have  imitated  this  benevolent  work  for 
the  physical  needs  of  men,  while  the  fundamental  has  re¬ 
mained  in  the  soul’s  need  of  life.  The  hungry  must  often  be 
fed  before  the  truth  may  find  a  hearing.  The  history  of 
charities  is  inseparably  linked  with  that  of  Christianity. 
Jesus  talked  with  the  mental  and  physical  sufferer  and  be¬ 
stowed  ease  of  heart  as  well  as  of  body. 

Thirteen  times  in  these  cases  of  individualism  Jesus 
answered  the  call  of  need.  Demoniacal  possession,  leprosy, 
paralysis,  fever,  blindness — all  these  fled  at  the  command  of 
Jesus.  The  call  was  made  by  the  afflicted  person,  by  an 
interested  loved  one,  and  by  the  silent  misery  of  the  unfortu¬ 
nate.  The  inner  call  of  the  soul  was  stronger  in  the  ear  of 
Jesus.  To  the  woman  of  Samaria  he  showed  the  well  of 
individual  eternal  life;  to  the  sinful  woman  who  anointed  his 
feet  he  declared  forgiveness  of  sins.  He  gave  the  same  sym¬ 
pathetic  regard  to  the  hopeless  condition  of  all  classes,  the 
teacher  of  religion,  the  outcast  sinner,  the  renegade  publican, 
and  the  dog  of  the  foreigner  appealing  alike  to  his  mercy. 

3.  AN  INDIVIDUALIZED  GOSPEL.— Great  crowds  at¬ 
tended  the  preaching  of  Jesus.  The  multitudes  were  will¬ 
ing  to  follow  him  all  the  day,  forgetful  of  hunger  and  weari- 

iLk.  19:10.  2jn.  5;i4. 


HIS  INDIVIDUALISM 


239 


ness;  Jesus  showed  that  he  was  not  only  an  eloquent  preacher 
but  also  a  helper  in  their  distress,  a  lad's  few  loaves  and  fish 
being  turned  into  food  for  the  many  thousands.  The  crush 
of  the  crowds  was  often  so  great  that  Jesus  could  not  secure 
rest  and  food.  He  could  have  had  a  constant  audience. 

His  ministry,  however,  was  not  entirely  to  the  vast  congrega¬ 
tions.  He  individualized  his  gospel,  thinking  that  the  single 
believer  was  worthy  of  reaching.  No  former  religious  leader 
had  made  a  specialty  of  the  individual,  who  was  lost  amid 
the  enmassed  wretchedness  of  men.  This  Preacher  declared 
that  salvation  was  not  primarily  racial,  tribal,  paternal, 
financial,  or  social,  but  that  each  man  must  enter  singly  into 
fellowship  with  God.  Careful  of  popular  favor,  eager  for 
great  followings,  despising  the  single  atom  of  humanity, 
other  religious  leaders  had  worked  and  failed.  Jesus  made 
the  individual  heart  the  boundary  of  his  kingdom,  which 
should  be  the  personal  sovereignty  of  God  in  human  life  and 
conscience.  Herein  lay  part  of  the  secret  of  the  endless  suc¬ 
cess  of  Jesus. 

The  gospel  of  Jesus  was  universal  in  privilege  and  indi¬ 
vidual  in  appropriation.  He  spoke  to  men,  not  to  humanity 
in  the  aggregate.  He  made  each  man  feel  that  the  fulness 
of  life  was  intended  for  himself,  as  though  he  were  alone  in 
God’s  wide  world.  Historical  departures  from  this  method 
of  personal  regeneration  have  resulted  in  externalism  and 
formalism. 

4.  THE  DRAMATIC  MOMENT. — The  poet  has  expressed 
this  dramatic  moment  thus,  and  Jesus  recognized  its  value 
and  exhibited  it  in  his  homiletics: 

“There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men 
Which  taken  at  the  flood  leads  on  to  fortune; 

Omitted,  all  the  voyage  of  their  life 
Is  bound  in  shallows  and  in  miseries.”  1 
1  Shakespeare. 


240 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


There  are  times  when  the  soul  seems  specially  sensitized 
toward  the  reception  of  religious  impulses,  at  which  time 
suggestions  find  response  that  otherwise  would  fall  on  leaden 
ears.  In  the  two  instances  of  long  discourse  Jesus  followed 
this  dramatic  and  critical  moment  to  great  advantage. 

With  Nicodemus  this  moment  appeared  when  Jesus 
stirred  his  conscience  by  the  story  of  the  new  birth,  which 
should  have  been  familiar  to  the  teacher  in  Israel:  “Art 
thou  the  teacher  of  Israel,  and  understandest  not  these 
things?”1  Religious  pride  in  his  profession  was  here  at 
stake  and  aroused.  In  the  interview  with  the  Samaritan 
woman  the  moment  came  when  Jesus  revealed  to  her  his 
knowledge  of  her  evil  life:  “He  whom  thou  now  hast  is  not 
thy  husband.”  2  The  appeal  to  conscience  here  came 
through  denunciation  of  personal  sins.  The  immediate 
evangelization  of  the  village  of  Sychar  attests  the  success  of 
his  method  in  the  woman’s  case,  while  it  is  generally  believed 
that  Nicodemus  became  a  real  and  helpful  though  silent 
follower  of  Jesus. 

This  dramatic  moment  is  often  called  the  psychological 
moment.  Other  examples  might  be  cited  to  show  that  Jesus 
was  the  master  of  this  insight  into  the  right  conditions  for  the 
truth  to  be  applied  individually.  Even  the  teacher  of  small 
observation  can  recall  times  of  good  or  unfortunate  handling 
of  this  time.  The  decision  day  in  the  Sunday-school,  the 
revival,  and  the  mourner’s  bench  testify  to  the  religious 
recognition  of  this  moment,  and  Spurgeon  has  expressed  it: 
“Where  the  application  begins,  there  the  sermon  begins.” 

5.  TYPICAL  INQUIRERS. — A  glance  may  be  given  to 
three  clinics  in  salvation. 

Nicodemus,  saint  and  teacher  of  religion,  marvelled  that 
Jesus  should  declare  the  necessity  for  a  new  birth  and  was 
iJn.  3:10.  2jn.  4:i8. 


HIS  INDIVIDUALISM 


241 


chagrined  that  Jesus  should  criticise  him  for  his  ignorance. 
It  is  at  this  point  in  the  interview  that  we  see  into  the  process 
of  the  scholarly  inquirer’s  mind.  This  truth  that  seized  his 
heart  occurs  in  the  record  between  verses  10  and  15,  the 
remainder  of  the  conversation  (to  verse  21)  explaining  the 
mission  and  reception  of  Jesus.  He  knew  that  the  scholar 
must  be  reached  through  his  pride  of  learning  and  profession. 

With  the  Samaritan  woman  of  shame  he  needed  to  convict 
for  sin,  since  she  was  a  professed  sinner.  Her  awakening 
must  come  from  conscience.  Jesus  smote  the  weak  place  in 
the  armor  of  her  shame.  She  attempted  to  shift  the  question 
to  a  theological  discussion  along  racial  prejudices,  she  being 
a  Samaritan  and  Jesus  a  Jew.  He  completed  the  conquest 
of  her  heart  by  the  announcement  of  his  Messiahship. 

The  Synoptics  present  the  instructive  incident  of  the  rich 
ruler  as  a  typical  inquirer.  Personally  satisfied  with  his 
legalistic  morality  and  religion,  he  thought  to  receive  a  cordial 
commendation  from  the  great  Preacher,  at  whom  he  hurled 
his  interrogatory  about  entrance  into  eternal  life.  Jesus  per¬ 
ceived  in  him  many  possibilities  for  future  usefulness,  for 
his  was  a  life  unsullied  and  unimpaired  by  riotous  living. 
Jesus  loved  him  at  once  and  would  have  gladly  received  him 
into  discipleship,  but  the  test  could  not  be  met,  the  love  of 
property  outweighing  that  for  the  greater  values  of  the  king¬ 
dom.  This  failure  to  win  the  person  indicates  the  soul’s  su¬ 
preme  right  to  decide  destiny,  and  that  every  inquirer  does 
not  come  to  the  decision  that  brings  life. 

III.  The  Theology  of  His  Individualism 

1.  THE  UNIT  OF  SALVATION.— The  theology  of  Jesus’ 
individualism  was  basal  and  directive  for  his  treatment  of 
men  and  women.  In  his  thought  the  individual  was  the  unit 
of  salvation.  His  direct  appeal  to  the  conscience  of  each  per- 

16 


242 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


son  and  the  postulates  of  his  entire  teaching  declare  for  this 
unit.  He  came  to  become  an  individual  Saviour  and  to  preach 
an  individual  evangel. 

The  Utopias  of  an  ideal  republic  might  seem  possible  to  a 
Plato  or  a  More,  but  the  Nazarene  knew  that  men  would  never 
submit  to  organized  holiness  except  upon  the  prior  condition 
of  individual  holiness.  Social  salvation  is  very  desirable, 
but  it  can  be  realized  only  as  each  member  of  society  shall 
incarnate  the  righteousness  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  A 
redeemed  humanity  will  remain  only  the  dream  or  the  hope 
of  the  enthusiast  for  humanity.  Jesus  made  real  the  republic 
of  God  to  each  individual  believer  in  whose  heart  and  life 
the  forces  of  good  became  operative  and  dominant. 

2.  FAMILIAR  TRUTHS. — The  bare  catalogue  of  the 
themes  of  Jesus’  conversations  would  present  many  familiar 
truths.  He  spoke  concerning  the  new  birth,  the  water  of  life, 
the  forgiveness  of  personal  sins,  the  Son  of  God,  resurrection 
and  life  through  himself,  eternal  life,  Messiahship,  his  own 
death  and  resurrection.  These  are  now  religious  truths 
almost  axiomatic  in  their  clearness  and  importance,  but  it 
should  be  remembered  that  Jesus  was  original  in  their 
delivery  and  that  he  did  not  reserve  them  for  the  vast  audi¬ 
ences  in  famous  synagogues  or  the  Temple.  The  simple 
heart  of  one  man  or  woman  gave  him  suitable  audience. 
Fresh  from  his  own  heart,  these  truths  came  into  the  individual 
life  of  select  men  and  women,  creating  new  ideals  and  hopes 
and  forming  new  character  and  destiny.  Out  of  Jesus’ 
theology  arose  his  plan  and  outlook  upon  individualism. 

IV.  The  Portrait  of  Jesus  in  His  Individualism 

1.  APPROACHABLENESS. — The  common  life  of  men 
touched  Jesus.  He  allowed  people  a  free  approach  to  him¬ 
self.  Desire  and  need  for  him  conditioned  his  attention. 


HIS  INDIVIDUALISM 


243 


The  spiritual  vision  in  its  largest  reach  was  his  gift  to 
men,  and  this  could  be  transferred  only  as  men  saw  that  he 
passed  beyond  the  narrow  borders  of  professional  pride  and 
exclusiveness.  He  kept  himself  in  the  eye  of  the  public. 
He  even  allowed  physical  contact,  since  he  was  often  pressed 
in  the  crowds.  His  disciples  sometimes  resented  this  absolute 
liberty  of  approach  and  tried  to  keep  back  certain  persons. 

2.  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MEN. — Jesus  had  an  unerring  in¬ 
sight  into  character.  The  inner  life  of  men  was  an  open 
book  to  him,  in  which  he  could  read  the  story  of  their  frailties 
as  of  their  noble  thoughts. 

3.  TENDERNESS. — His  treatment  of  individuals  was  ten¬ 
der  and  gracious.  His  rebukes  might  be  needed,  but  he  ac¬ 
complished  his  aim  with  tact  and  kindness.  He  gave  spe¬ 
cial  consideration  to  women  and  children,  on  whom  others 
had  not  looked  in  tenderness.  Those  whom  others  despised 
he  blessed,  even  though  he  might  transgress  propriety  in 
talking  to  a  fallen  woman. 

4.  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  SINNERS.— His  own  friendship 
for  the  friendless  was  the  answer  of  a  heart  of  divine  love 
responding  to  the  unutterable  loneliness  and  longings  of  the 
sinner.  These  conversations  sketch  the  personal  life  of  Jesus 
among  his  friends.  He  knew  how  to  be  a  friend  and  thus 
win  friendships.  He  could  be  the  honored  guest  and  relieve 
the  host  of  an  accident  or  difficulty.  He  gathered  around 
him  a  company  of  friends  who  were  ready  to  forsake  all  and 
follow  him  even  to  death,  though  they  did  not  always  fully 
understand  him  and  his  methods.  He  could  so  far  trust  these 
friends  as  to  commit  to  them  the  evangelization  of  the  world 
in  his  name.  These  friends  had  each  felt  the  inflow  of  a  new 
force  for  life. 

The  religious  leaders  sought  to  harm  Jesus  and  his  repu¬ 
tation  with  the  accusation  that  he  associated  with  the  pub- 


244 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


licans  and  sinners,  the  utmost  degradation  being  reached  in 
his  eating  with  these  social  outcasts.  This  shadow  upon  the 
name  of  their  Master  might  have  disturbed  his  followers,  but 
he  gloried  in  the  fact  of  such  friendships.  His  mission  had 
these  primarily  in  view,  since  only  the  sick  need  medical 
care.  He  loved  his  sinner  friends,  and  gave  himself  not  only 
to  them  in  the  days  of  his  ministry  of  word  and  deed,  but  also 
in  the  ministry  of  sacrifice.  “  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than 
this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.”  His  in¬ 
dividualism  stressed  such  a  friendship. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  DRAMATIC  ELEMENT  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  drama  has  specialized  certain  forms  and  principles 
that  give  interest  and  effect  to  public  address.  The  classic 
drama  had  helped  to  form  the  ideals  and  methods  of  oratory. 
The  preaching  of  Jesus  benefited  by  the  principles  rather  than 
the  forms  of  the  drama.  Impassioned  discourse,  intended  for 
definite  ends  beyond  instruction,  must  follow  certain  dramatic 
fundamentals.  The  homiletics  of  Jesus  exhibited  these. 

I.  Dramatic  Force  of  Humor  and  Irony 

1.  ORATORICAL  COMMONPLACES.— The  masters  of 
public  address  have  known  the  use  of  humor  and  irony, 
which  easily  pass  the  one  into  the  other  and  require  a  common 
treatment.  Keen  and  incisive,  the  laugh  often  proves  more 
effective  in  debate  than  argument.  Reasons  may  be  answered, 
but  humor  and  ironv  win  the  battle.  These  are  oratorical 

V 

commonplaces,  historical  citation  not  being  needed.  It  may, 
however,  require  some  specifications  to  admit  their  use  in 
Jesus’  preaching. 

The  student  of  Jesus’  ministry  is  impressed  with  his  sober¬ 
ness  and  earnestness,  which  may  be  attributed  to  his  serious 
vocation  of  Saviourhood.  And  vet  one  does  not  find  in  his 

V 

preaching  sombreness  and  repulsive  shadows.  Jesus  could 
connect  himself  with  men  in  their  sufferings  and  sorrows, 
deserving  the  title  of  Man  of  Sorrows,  and  yet  retain  a  whole¬ 
some  outlook  upon  life  which  kept  him  from  becoming 

24  5 


246 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


socially  unattractive.  His  grace  of  personality  and  address 
relieved  his  intensely  impassioned  message  and  delivery  from 
all  suspicion  of  melancholia  and  moroseness.  Touches  of 
humor  occur  here  and  there  beneath  his  seriousness,  and 
irony  slips  in  as  a  weapon  in  polemics.  Jesus  the  orator 
could  not  afford  to  miss  the  advantage  of  these  two  elements 
of  the  drama,  men  and  occasions  being  thereby  fitly  served. 

2.  GIFT  OF  IMAGINATION. — Humor  and  irony  are  gifts 
of  the  imagination.  They  can  not  be  used  except  by  those 
wTho  can  see  the  unseen  and  who  have  the  power  of  mak¬ 
ing  new  situations  from  old  images.  The  unimaginative  man 
can  not  appreciate  the  ludicrous,  and  thus  misses  the  chance 
to  profit  from  irony.  The  mind  of  Jesus  was  highly  imagi¬ 
native,  his  power  of  transferring  himself  in  thought  into  new 
conditions  being  very  great.  He  could  see  the  relations  of 
things,  he  could  appreciate  the  humorous,  he  was  a  master 
of  irony.  His  homiletics  reflected  this  oratorical  method. 

3.  HOMELY  FIGURES. — Effective  humor  and  irony  are 
based  upon  the  use  of  homely  figures,  familiar  and  striking. 
The  laugh  and  the  rebuke  of  irony  can  not  be  secured  through 
indefinite,  far-fetched  and  strange  imagery.  The  pictures  of 
everyday  occurrence  may  serve  the  purpose  of  the  caricaturist 
who  works  with  discourses  as  well  as  the  one  who  uses  pen 
and  brush.  The  preaching  of  Jesus  elevated  these  homely 
pictures  of  the  street,  farm,  and  home  into  a  high  homiletical 
service.  His  humor  and  irony  were  within  the  appreciation 
of  the  man  of  ordinary  ability.  The  common  sight  was  that 
of  the  blind  leading  the  blind  in  spiritual  matters,  though  it 
would  have  seemed  dangerous  and  incongruous  in  actual  life. 

4.  REPARTEE. — Repartee  increases  the  power  of  humor 
and  irony.  Jesus  was  able  to  turn  an  occasion  of  embarrass¬ 
ment  into  one  of  profit  to  his  cause.  One  example  will 
suffice.  The  Pharisees  conspired  with  their  enemies,  the 


THE  DRAMATIC  ELEMENT 


247 


Herodians,  to  entrap  Jesus  in  his  speech,  and  came  with 
their  question  about  the  lawfulness  of  tribute  to  Csesar,  each 
party  holding  an  opposite  position.  They  thought  that  he 
must  be  impaled  upon  one  horn  of  the  dilemma.  But  Jesus 
was  a  master  of  repartee.  He  required  them  to  exhibit  a 
coin  and  declare  whose  image  it  bore.  “  They  say  unto  him, 
Caesar’s.  Then  saith  he  unto  them,  Render  therefore  unto 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's;  and  unto  God  the  things 
that  are  God’s.”1  They  marvelled  but  could  not  answer 
him.  The  humor  and  irony  of  the  defeat  of  evil  fell  upon 
them.  The  serious  repartee  had  underneath  its  humorous 
aspect. 

5.  SPECIMENS  OF  HUMOR  AND  IRONY.— Let  the  im¬ 
agination  put  into  concrete  form  the  man  with  the  great 
beam  in  his  eye  who  seeks  to  discover  the  speck  in  his  friend's 
eye.2  His  generation  would  receive  neither  John  the  Baptist 
nor  Jesus,  the  ascetic  nor  the  friend  of  all  men:  “We  piped 
unto  vou,  and  ye  did  not  dance;  we  wailed,  and  ye  did  not 
mourn;”  3  the  current  refusal  to  enter  either  the  dance  or  the 
mourning  was  rebuked  in  this  subtle  irony. 

Few  pictures  have  been  more  striking  in  ironical  humor 
than  that  of  the  “blind  guides,  that  strain  out  the  gnat  and 
swallow  the  camel.”  4  How  the  proud  Pharisees  must  have 
inwardly  raged  at  Jesus’  presumption  in  drawing  such  a 
stinging  comparison!  His  hearers  appreciated  the  imagery 
and  enjoyed  the  discomfiture  of  the  proud  leaders. 

One  day  Jesus  entered  into  a  Pharisee’s  home  for  dinner; 
the  host  marvelled  that  his  distinguished  guest  should  eat 
without  a  bath  or  at  least  with  unwashed  hands.  Jesus 
perceived  his  course  of  thought  and  drew  his  picture:  “Now 
ye  the  Pharisees  cleanse  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the 


1  Mt.  22:21. 
3Mt.  11:  17. 


2Mt.  7:  1-5. 
4  Mt.  23:  24. 


248 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


platter;  but  your  inward  part  is  full  of  extortion  and  wicked¬ 
ness.”  1 

Recall  the  three  invited  guests  who  declined  the  invitation 
upon  such  excuses  as  a  purchased  but  untried  field,  oxen  to 
be  tested,  and  a  wife  who  could  not  be  left.2  His  audience 
easily  saw  the  humorous  irony. 

II.  Dramatic  Force  of  Tragedy 

1.  OBSERVED  TRAGEDY.— The  drama  historically  de¬ 
veloped  first  comedy  and  then  tragedy.  Comedy  in  Jesus’ 
preaching  came  rather  in  touches  of  humor  and  irony  than 
as  a  distinct  form.  Tragedy  presents  the  events  wherein 
are  prominent  catastrophe,  accident,  sorrow,  sad  ending, 
and  even  death.  Its  meaning  has  been  somewhat  broadened 
to  permit  its  use  for  general  events  of  a  risky  and  unfortunate 
character.  In  this  latter  sense  the  tragical  element  entered 
Jesus’  preaching. 

The  raising  to  life  of  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  had 
in  it  the  elements  of  a  romantic  tragedy.3  Jesus  met  the 
funeral  procession  accidentally,  commanded  its  halt  to  the 
wonder  of  all  concerned,  touched  the  bier  upon  which  lay 
the  young  man,  and  spoke  the  authoritative  word  that  brought 
back  from  the  unseen  world  the  spirit  of  the  dead.  Rapidity 
of  movement,  unexpected  wonders,  mingling  of  the  sad  and 
the  joyful,  enter  this  scene  to  make  it  a  tragedy  wdiose 
material  could  furnish  the  poet  with  a  theme  for  a  great 
drama. 

The  companion  tragedy  may  be  seen  in  the  raising  of 
Lazarus  from  the  tomb.4  The  details  are  fuller  here.  The 
sickness  of  the  brother,  the  earnest  and  distressful  message 
to  the  far-distant  Master,  his  deliberate  and  reasonless  delay, 

i  Lk.  1 1 :  37-41 .  2  Lk.  14 : 12-23. 

3  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  No.  11.  4  Appendix,  See.  IV,  No.  30. 


THE  DRAMATIC  ELEMENT 


249 


the  death  and  burial  of  the  beloved  brother,  the  sad  meeting 
between  the  sisters  and  the  Master,  the  visit  to  the  tomb,  the 
watchful  attendants,  the  weeping  Master,  the  stone’s  removal, 
the  loud  command,  the  moment  of  supreme  suspense  among 
friends,  who  wonder  if  the  spirit  of  Lazarus  will  hear  and 
answer  the  summons  from  his  spirit  home,  the  moving  form 
in  the  tomb,  the  living  man — all  these  events  present  a 
tragedy  in  the  reverse  order  that  stirs  the  heart  and  imagina¬ 
tion. 

Another  reverse  tragedy  may  be  cited  in  the  case  of  the 
Gadarene  demoniacs.1  The  poor  demented  creaiures,  their 
home  of  tombs,  their  naked  and  scarred  forms,  the  bitter 
cry  against  disturbance  which  meant  their  betterment,  the 
cure,  the  loss  of  the  swine,  the  wrath  of  the  owners  of  the 
herd,  the  request  for  the  departure  of  the  great  person  who 
had  done  the  deed — these  made  a  drama  that  could  never 
be  forgotten  by  the  witnesses  and  still  has  power  to  keep  in¬ 
terest  for  the  reader.  The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  connected 
with  many  incidents  containing  the  dramatic  elements  of 
tragedy. 

2.  PERSONALIZED  TRAGEDY. — Into  Jesus’  personal 
relations  and  experiences  this  element  of  tragedy  entered. 
The  tragedy  of  rejection  and  attempted  murder  occurred 
upon  Jesus’  first  visit  to  Nazareth,  when  his  ministry  had 
begun  to  attract  attention.  His  application  to  himself  of 
the  prophetic  passage  angered  the  congregation,  who  led 
Jesus  forth  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  just  outside  the  city;  but 
they  could  not  fulfil  their  purpose  of  casting  him  over,  for 
some  power  beyond  their  control  held  them  back.  Jesus 
passed  unhurt  and  unmolested  through  their  midst. 

The  tragedy  of  the  broken  heart  was  enacted  upon  the 
hill  overlooking  Jerusalem.  Jesus  looked  upon  the  city  of 

1  Appendix,  Sec.  IV,  No.  14. 


250 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


the  prophets  and  the  favorite  of  God,  and  wept  over  its 
stubborn  heart  and  impending  doom,  his  pathetic  apostrophe 
showing  his  heart  of  sorrow. 

The  tragedy  of  the  heart’s  preparation  for  Saviourhood 
took  place  beneath  the  shades  of  Gethsemane’s  olive-trees. 
The  battle  was  waged  between  the  forces  of  evil  and  the  Son 
of  man,  and  the  victory  entitled  the  victor  to  become  the 
Saviour  of  the  tempted. 

The  betrayal,  the  Jewish  and  civil  trials,  the  journey  to 
the  Place  of  the  Skull,  the  crucifixion,  were  parts  of  a  tragedy 
which  has  meant  more  than  any  other  event  for  the  hope  of 
the  world.  Out  of  the  gloom  of  this  personalized  tragedy 
came  the  hope  of  human  redemption  that  each  penitent 
soul  might  escape  the  tragedy  of  the  damned.  The  Ballad 
of  the  Trees ,  by  Sidney  Lanier,  has  caught  this  dramatic  in¬ 
sight  : 

“  Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  went. 

And  he  was  well  content; 

Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  came, 

Content  with  death  and  shame. 

When  death  and  shame  would  woo  him  last, 

From  under  the  trees  they  drew  him  last; 

’Twas  on  a  tree  they  slew  him  last, 

When  out  of  the  woods  he  came.” 

III.  Dramatic  Force  of  Miracles 

1.  NATURAL  DRAMAS. — The  miracles  of  Jesus  bv  their 

%/ 

very  nature  were  dramatic  events.  His  entire  list  of  mira¬ 
cles,  both  healing  and  nature  miracles,  contained  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  element  of  interest  and  excitement  characteristic  of 
the  drama.  In  each  case  the  dramatic  climax  was  in  the 
purpose  of  Jesus;  he  had  some  fixed  result  to  accomplish. 
The  drama  has  its  rise  of  storv  and  interest  to  a  certain  event 

V 

or  thought,  all  points  being  referable  to  this.  The  dramatic 
force  of  the  miracles  is  easily  recognized. 


THE  DRAMATIC  ELEMENT 


251 


2.  DRAMATIC  ACCESSORIES. — Though  not  intended 
primarily  to  create  an  audience,  the  miracles  of  Jesus  did 
bring  to  him  many  people  that  might  not  otherwise  have 
come  within  his  reach.  The  miracles  helped  to  determine 
the  scene  and  actors  in  his  dramatic  preaching.  They  served 
as  homiletical  accessories.  Through  them  Jesus  was  able 
to  preach  more  effectively  and  dramatically. 

IV.  Dramatic  Force  of  Parables 

1.  LITERARY. — Some  of  the  parables  of  Jesus  were  cast 
in  the  dramatic  story  form.  This  was  specially  true  of  the 
following  parables,  detailed  discussion  of  which  is  not  re¬ 
quired  here:  the  LTnmerciful  Servant,  the  Good  Samaritan, 
the  Friend  at  Midnight,  the  Rich  Fool,  the  Great  Supper, 
the  Lost  Son,  the  Rich  Alan  and  Lazarus,  the  Wicked  Hus¬ 
bandmen,  the  Ten  Virgins,  and  the  Ten  Talents.  The 
dramatic  element  in  these  will  appear  at  a  glance.  The 
story  of  each  has  its  approach  to  a  crisis  of  interest. 

2.  HOMILETICAL. — Jesus  used  the  parables  with  keen 
dramatic  force  in  his  denunciation  of  foes.  The  training  of 
the  Twelve  was  advanced  through  the  dramatic  setting  of 
this  parabolic  method  of  instruction.  The  simple  statement 
of  the  principle  wins  for  it  credence  here. 

A''.  Dramatic  Force  of  Strategy 

1.  THE  MOMENT  OF  VITALITY.— In  every  story  and 
event  there  is  a  moment  of  vitality  which  gives  value  to  all 
its  parts.  Jesus  understood  this  fact.  He  accurately  esti¬ 
mated  the  soul’s  crises.  He  looked  into  the  secrets  of  the 
heart  and  read  aright  the  stories  of  struggles  and  desires, 
each  impulse  and  thought  having  proper  consideration  in 
his  estimate  of  character.  The  moment  of  supreme  interest 
and  value  never  passed  him  by,  his  word  always  being 


252 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


timely.  His  conversations  with  Nicodemus  and  the  Samaritan 
woman  indicated  his  insight  into  the  psychological  moment. 

Examples  of  such  moment  of  vitality  may  be  thus  cited: 
the  question  in  the  great  crowd  as  to  the  one  that  touched  his 
garment,  the  trembling  woman  confessing  her  faith;  the  call 
of  Matthew  from  his  seat  in  his  tax-office;  the  upward  look 
to  Zacchseus  in  the  tree  and  the  command  to  descend;  the 
w’ord  to  Judas  during  the  supper;  his  glance  toward  the 
recreant  Peter  when  the  cock  crew;  his  promise  to  the  dying 
and  penitent  robber  on  the  Cross.  This  moment  when  the 
soul  is  most  sensible  of  formative  forces  entered  into  the 
masterful  plans  of  Jesus.  The  strategic  point  in  character 
did  not  escape  him. 

2.  HIS  POLEMICS. — The  controversies  of  Jesus  show 
how  well  he  could  arrange  the  strategic  element.  His  polem¬ 
ics  were  not  subject  to  the  direction  of  his  antagonists;  Jesus 
knew  how  to  order  events.  He  could  evade  the  extreme  zeal 
of  friends,  could  pass  serenely  through  an  infuriated  mob 
unhurt  and  calm,  and  could  hold  back  his  bitter  foes  until 
his  death  should  become  expedient. 

3.  THE  DOMINANT  PLAN. — The  dominant  plan  for 
Jesus’  life  could  not  be  altered.  He  kept  to  his  life-plan. 
He  was  the  general  of  the  forces  in  the  new  kingdom.  His 
message  must  be  delivered  and  his  mission  fulfilled,  neither 
favor  nor  opposition  being  effective  to  alter  his  course  toward 
the  goal  of  his  own  choice.  Friend  and  foe  must  stand  out 
of  the  way.  Bitter  jealousy,  popular  favor,  unjust  criticism, 
friendly  enthusiasm,  and  defection  of  disciples  could  not 
prevent  his  course  to  the  Cross.  In  this  fact  his  dramatic 
genius  exhibited  itself.  His  was  the  best  method  of  prepara¬ 
tion  for  Saviourhood.  Jesus  came  in  the  fulness  of  the  times, 
and  his  strategic  insight  led  him  to  give  himself  in  sacrifice 
at  the  right  time. 


THE  DRAMATIC  ELEMENT 


253 


4.  THE  DENOUEMENT, — The  Cross  was  the  ultimate 

goal  of  Jesus.  His  preaching  held  out  this  purpose  before 

the  slow-witted  disciples.  He  tried  to  prepare  them  for  this 

event,  but  their  hopes  of  a  temporal  kingdom  made  them 

blind  to  the  greater  kingdom  which  should  be  mediated 

through  the  sacrifice  of  its  King.  However,  to  the  Preacher 
©  © 

the  shadows  were  real  and  visible.  Calvary  was  the  denoue- 

V 

ment  of  his  preaching.  It  would  indeed  be  difficult  to  imag¬ 
ine  a  different  end  for  him.  Sent  as  the  Son  of  God  from 
heaven,  ministrant  to  the  needs  of  bodv  and  soul  of  his 

V 

contemporaries,  revelation  and  revealer  of  the  Father,  loving 
and  self-sacrificing,  Jesus  felt  the  imperative  of  his  holy 
vocation  carrving  him  to  the  Cross. 

He  was  not  an  unwilling  captive.  Dramatic  in  preaching, 
with  word  and  deed  fixing  men's  minds  upon  the  supreme 
values  of  life,  his  life  had  its  fitting  climax,  its  worthy  denoue¬ 
ment,  amid  the  darkness  and  suffering  of  the  Crucifixion. 
The  ministrv  of  truth,  the  service  for  others,  the  forgetfulness 
of  self,  the  transference  of  life  from  himself  to  his  followers 
through  faith  in  himself — these  and  more  are  the  prophecies 
of  the  end  that  came  to  him. 

Glorious  in  its  details  of  a  marvellously  perfect  life,  resplen¬ 
dent  with  the  union  of  two  worlds  in  his  career,  Jesus  could 
have  reasonably  looked  for  no  other  end.  He  planned  his 
denouement,  and  had  the  courage  to  execute  it.  His  end 
was  the  seal  and  confirmation  of  his  life  and  preaching.  The 
drama  of  the  Son  of  man  closed  with  dramatic  fitness  in  the 
Place  of  the  Skull  that  the  life  eternal  might  come  to  men. 

The  two  subsequent  dramatic  moments  add  to  his  glory 
and  mission.  The  drama  of  the  Resurrection  and  the  drama 
of  the  Ascension  join  with  his  life  and  death  to  assure  the 
Preacher  immortal  honor  and  worship. 


CHAPTER  XXII 


THE  VARIETY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Variety  conditions  interest.  Nature  with  her  myriad 
colors  and  forms  never  tires  the  watcher.  Monotony  follows 
quickly  upon  the  repetition  of  even  the  beautiful.  The 
preaching  of  Jesus  was  of  continuous  interest  because  it  had 
variety.  He  avoided  the  use  of  the  same  path  to  every  heart. 
He  could  vary  his  methods.  The  same  fundamental  purpose 
was  ever  in  his  mind,  but  he  employed  many  methods. 

I.  Variety  op  Occasions 

1.  TIME. — Jesus  did  not  have  a  fixed  hour  for  preaching. 
From  early  morning  until  the  shadows  of  the  evening  were 
long,  and  sometimes  even  after  nightfall,  he  held  the  people 
in  his  presence.  Some  days  were  continuous  in  healing  and 
preaching,  while  others  w^ere  but  partly  thus  employed,  an 
occasional  rest  being  secured  for  the  Preacher.  The  multi¬ 
tudes  were  fed  at  eventide,  the  impulsive  Peter  was  rescued 
from  his  failure  at  walking  the  waves  during  the  darkness 
of  the  night,  the  sick  and  the  afflicted  wrere  brought  to  him 
at  sunset,  the  heat  and  the  dust  of  the  road  did  not  prevent 
his  acts  of  mercy  and  his  words  of  grace.  He  hallowed  each 
hour  of  the  day  with  his  ministry.  The  seasons  of  the  year 
did  not  divide  his  wTork.  He  did  not  confine  his  career  to 
any  particular  seasons.  Throughout  the  entire  year  he  kept 
at  work.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  length  of  his  public 
ministry,  Jesus  was  intensely  active  during  the  whole  period. 

254 


THE  VARIETY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


255 


He  preached  from  the  beginning  of  his  public  life  down  to  its 
end. 

2.  PLACE. — Jesus  did  not  remain  long  at  any  one  place, 
all  parts  of  Palestine  profiting  by  his  preaching.  He  did  not 
intend  in  his  own  ministry  to  evangelize  the  whole  populace 
of  his  country,  but  rather  to  give  a  representative  hearing  to 
various  parts,  his  journeys  accomplishing  this  plan.  People 
in  all  sections  were  enabled  to  have  contact  with  him.  He 
gave  to  Capernaum  the  privilege  of  the  longest  stay  and 
greatest  work,  for  he  made  this  the  centre  of  operations  for 
some  time.  Random  mention  might  be  made  of  other  places 
in  which  he  preached,  showdng  this  variety  of  place —  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  Jericho,  Samaria,  Judea,  Galilee,  Perea,  Decapolis, 
Gadara,  Caesarea  Philippi,  Sychar,  Nazareth,  Nain,  Cana, 

and  Bethany. 

•/ 

3.  AUDIENCE. — Rich  and  poor,  learned  and  ignorant, 
Jew  and  Gentile,  Pharisee  and  Sadducee,  the  self-righteous 
and  the  public  outcast,  all  mingled  freely  in  the  audiences  of 
Jesus.  He  spoke  to  all  degrees  of  culture  and  all  social 
classes.  They  gathered  to  hear  him,  being  prompted  by  all 
kinds  of  motives — desire  for  physical  healing,  curiosity  to 
hear  him  and  to  see  his  wonders,  sharp  and  bitter  criticism, 
and  eager  hope  to  receive  the  direction  toward  eternal  life. 
His  audiences  naturally  varied  according  to  the  laws  of  time, 
place,  and  opportunity,  his  itinerant  ministry  intensifying 
this  element  of  variety.  While  many  people  doubtless  fol¬ 
lowed  him  for  different  distances,  his  audiences  were  very 
largely  first  listeners.  Leaders  among  the  Jews  followed  him 
in  order  to  stir  up  popular  hatred  and  prejudice. 

This  variety  of  new  conditions  and  unknown  people  called 
for  immense  reserve  power  of  heart  and  mind  in  order  to  meet 
the  needs  of  each  new  moment.  A  permanent  audience 
would  not  demand  quite  as  much  from  the  preacher  in  the 


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way  of  nervous  energy  to  maintain  interest  by  correct  judg¬ 
ment  of  the  mental  and  spiritual  ability  and  need  of  the 
congregation.  Jesus  gave  the  most  appropriate  message  to 
this  variety  of  crowds.  His  insight  into  the  life-centres  of  men 
gave  him  this  power  to  fit  each  occasion  with  its  own 
message. 

One  might  wish  to  know  just  how  many  different  people 
heard  the  preaching  of  Jesus  during  his  ministry,  but  curiosity 
will  remain  unsatisfied.  His  congregations  varied  in  numbers, 
culture,  attitude  toward  himself,  and  spiritual  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  his  truths.  Men,  women,  boys,  girls,  the  aged  and 
helpless  babes  composed  the  vast  audiences  that  came 
to  him.  A  greater  variety  would  hardly  assemble  in  another’s 
ministry. 

4.  OCCASION. — Special  emphasis  came  to  Jesus’  preach¬ 
ing  from  the  occasions.  Whether  a  synagogue  sermon,  a 
conversation  upon  a  housetop  or  by  the  curb  of  a  well,  a 
dinner  rebuke,  a  wayside  call  to  righteousness,  or  a  series  of 
seaside  parables,  his  preaching  shunned  the  formality  of  the 
set  address  whose  limits  had  previously  been  fixed.  The 
spontaneity  and  freedom  of  each  occasion  also  passed  into 
his  sermons.  No  two  occasions  were  entirely  similar,  the 
variety  of  life  attaching  thereto. 

II.  Variety  of  Purpose 

1.  EVANGELISTIC. — The  homiletical  purpose  of  Jesus 
included  the  evangelistic  aim.  The  story  of  redemption  must 
be  told.  No  other  person  could  undertake  the  task  of  bring¬ 
ing  men  into  the  acceptance  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Personal 
evangelism  should  be  his  method  for  the  transferred  mission 
of  his  followers,  and  he  himself  adopted  it  as  his  method. 
His  life-work  should  lead  him  to  declare  the  gospel  to  men. 
From  the  angelic  announcement  of  the  coming  of  the  Saviour, 


THE  VARIETY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


257 


as  the  humble  shepherds  kept  their  flocks  beneath  the  Judean 
stars,  to  the  Seven  Words  upon  the  Cross,  this  demand  of 
evangelism  determined  the  plans  and  the  methods  of  the  life 
of  Jesus. 

This  idea  of  personal  consecration  to  the  individual  needs 
of  men  for  salvation,  not  only  mediated  but  also  preached  by 
him,  underlay  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  varied  in  time,  purpose, 
methods,  conditions,  and  audiences.  Jesus  was  an  evangelist 
of  his  own  evangel. 

2.  POLEMICAL. — Sin  and  selfishness  arrayed  their  repre¬ 
sentatives  against  the  lowly  Nazarene.  The  leaders,  proud 
of  their  external  piety  and  bitter  in  their  refusal  to  be  criti¬ 
cised  by  the  new  Preacher,  put  themselves  against  Jesus  with 
the  determination  to  thwart  his  plans  and  to  kill  him  at  the 
opportune  time.  Jesus  felt  compelled  to  fulfil  his  mission 
even  though  at  the  risk  of  the  enmity  of  the  powers  in  author¬ 
ity.  His  intimate  knowledge  of  men  allowed  him  to  present 
an  overmastering  polemic.  He  could  not  have  gone  peaceably 
on  his  plan  of  evangelism,  for  his  foes  were  constantly  attempt¬ 
ing  to  entrap  him  in  mistakes  of  statement  or  act. 

3.  DIDACTIC. — Evangelism  looked  toward  the  salvation 
of  men  through  right  relations  to  God  as  mediated  through 
the  Son;  polemics  defended  his  right  to  be  the  evangelist  and 
to  contest  his  claims  in  the  face  of  his  critics;  didactics  deter¬ 
mined  the  revelation  of  the  truths  that  should  form  the 
fundamentals  of  the  new  religion  and  the  new  kingdom  of 
heaven.  A  general  public  must  be  partially  instructed  and 
disciples  specially  trained  in  the  truth. 

III.  Variety  of  Form 

1.  OLD  FORMS  HEIGHTENED.— In  his  preaching  Jesus 
heightened  the  values  of  old  rhetorical  forms.  He  em¬ 
ployed  the  terms  of  rhetoric,  but  elevated  them  by  his  dig- 

17 


258 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


nity  of  style,  clearness  of  statement,  intensity  of  passion,  lu¬ 
cidity  of  thought,  and  the  force  of  his  ideas.  Deserving  the 
reproach  that  he  had  secured  his  knowledge  of  religious  truth 
without  the  instruction  of  the  rabbinical  schools,  Jesus 
conformed  his  speech  to  the  common  forms  of  all  articulated 
and  cultivated  language.  His  metaphors  and  similes  were 
formulated  under  the  same  laws  which  controlled  other 
speakers,  but  his  uniqueness  gave  to  them  a  picturesqueness 
not  found  elsewhere.  His  pictures  live  and  speak  the  words 
of  life.  He  elevated  his  interrogatory  from  the  position  of  a 
method  of  information  to  a  powerful  engine  of  polemics,  sure 
in  its  mark  and  unanswerable.  Quotations  from  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  were  made  with  accurate  insight  into  their  original 
meaning,  even  though  his  regal  authority  would  dare  to  alter 
their  application  and  enlarge  their  force.  Apostrophe  never 
had  greater  pathos  than  in  his  use.  Invectives  were  certain 
to  bring  disaster  to  the  unfortunate  object  of  his  wrath.  Other 
figures  of  rhetoric  were  raised  to  greater  worth  through  his 
preaching. 

2.  CREATED  SPECIALTIES.— Two  oratorical  special¬ 
ties  were  created  by  Jesus  for  his  preaching.  The  parable 
and  the  miracle  as  homiletical  commonplaces  belong  solely 
to  him.  Other  teachers  had  made  incidental  use  of  the 
parable  but  not  characteristically.  The  parable  really  belongs 
to  Jesus  as  his  specialty,  since  his  employment  of  it  was  so 
wonderful  and  frequent.  The  miracle  in  its  homiletical  value 
for  discourses  was  entirely  his  own.  Prophets  had  worked 
miracles  before  his  day,  but  no  other  had  ever  associated  the 
miracle  with  the  discourse.  These  two  forms  give  his  preach¬ 
ing  a  variety  that  can  not  be  imitated.  By  parable  and 
miracle — by  word-picture  and  by  deed  of  grace — Jesus  could 
so  vary  his  ministry  as  to  retain  the  constant  interest  of  his 
audiences. 


THE  VARIETY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


259 


IV.  Variety  of  Content 

The  themes  of  Jesus  were  not  limited  to  a  few  threadbare 
truths.  While  he  came  to  establish  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
to  declare  its  initial  principles,  and  while  he  must  prepare  him¬ 
self  and  his  immediate  followers  for  the  tragedy  of  Calvary,  a 
few  truths  regarding  these  purposes  requiring  repeated  state¬ 
ment,  Jesus  emphasized  truths  that  have  application  to  all 
phases  of  life,  for  the  religious  life  forms  the  fundamental 
problem  of  all  human  endeavors.  His  vision  was  concerned 
with  the  far-away  home  of  the  soul,  but  there  were  terrestrial 
duties  that  came  before  the  heavenly  joy  might  be  realized. 
The  kingdom  of  heaven  had  its  obligations  for  men  in  social 
relations.  Jesus  was  not  a  reformer  with  a  panacea  for  human 
ills,  social  and  personal;  he  was  a  Saviour,  whose  vision  of  the 
world  gave  him  authority  and  power  over  men. 

The  great  variety  of  the  content  of  Jesus’  preaching  would 
appear  to  any  one  who  would  even  glance  at  a  bibliography 
of  his  life  and  teachings.  From  his  preaching  men  have 
drawn  support  for  doctrines  about  the  kingdom  of  God,  the 
church,  the  family,  the  social  world,  the  future  life,  the 
ethical  world.  His  ministry  furnishes  principles  for  all  life. 

This  variety  of  content  came  to  his  preaching  without  his 
intention  to  forecast  the  absolute  form  for  future  thought. 
He  preached  the  truth  that  was  needed  by  his  own  generation, 
and  later  ages  have  discovered  that  he  spoke  for  all  times. 
In  variety  Jesus  did  not  lose  depth  and  clearness  of  vision. 
He  had  the  masterful  conception  of  truth  in  all  relations. 
Shallowness  could  not  have  satisfied  him. 

V.  Variety  of  Characteristics 

Here  it  is  pertinent  merely  to  refer  to  the  homiletical  traits 
of  Jesus’  preaching  as  indicative  of  his  variety.  Jesus  was 


260 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


symmetrical  in  his  homiletics,  not  developing  one  element  to 
the  exclusion  of  others.  He  was  tender  and  gracious  toward 
those  of  a  troubled  and  trustful  heart,  but  this  gentleness  did 
not  keep  back  his  censure  and  denunciation  of  Pharisaism. 
The  weary  pilgrim  toward  perfection  found  in  him  a  sympa¬ 
thetic  friend,  but  the  proud  leaders,  who  sought  their  own 
glory,  heard  him  with  increasing  hatred,  for  he  was  severe  in 
his  uncovering  of  their  hypocrisy. 

He  spoke  with  authority,  and  men  recognized  the  new  tone 
in  religion;  the  Lord  of  men  made  himself  felt  in  the  common 
heart  of  his  fellow-men.  His  simplicity  put  truth  within  reach 
of  the  average  intelligence.  His  originality  opened  new 
fountains  of  truth  and  life  to  men.  Jesus  was  versatile  yet 
forceful.  Freedom  of  new  truths  and  statements,  monotony 
thereby  being  escaped,  did  not  run  into  license.  He  repeated 
himself  when  it  advanced  his  plans.  His  style  varied  with  the 
needs  of  each  occasion.  Jesus  had  the  cosmopolitan  vision 
and  method  of  truth.  His  was  the  many-sided  ministry. 

VI.  Variety  of  Results 

The  preaching  of  Jesus  had  a  varied  result.  The  common 
people  heard  him  gladly  and  brought  their  sick  to  him  for 
healing.  The  sinner  and  the  outcast  found  in  him  their 
friend  and  Saviour.  The  scribes  and  Pharisees,  whose  glory 
diminished  with  the  popularity  of  Jesus,  turned  bitter  oppo¬ 
sition  toward  him  and  sought  to  kill  him.  Conversions, 
discipleship,  defection,  worship,  hatred,  abuse,  loving  minis¬ 
tries,  misunderstandings,  appreciation — all  these  gave  his 
preaching  variety  of  results. 

The  crowds  crushed  him  in  their  eagerness  to  be  near  to 
profit  by  his  miracles  and  preaching,  while  his  enemies  stood 
on  the  outer  rim  of  the  audience  to  criticise  and  trap  him. 
The  secret  conversation  and  possible  discipleship  of  the 


THE  VARIETY  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


261 


learned  Nicodemus  had  as  counterparts  the  open  avowal  of 
fellowship  and  offer  of  restoration  for  wrongs  of  the  renegade 
Zacchaeus.  The  sorrow  of  the  ruler  who  failed  in  the  property 
test  only  accented  the  joy  of  the  disciples  who  had  left  all  to 
follow  Jesus.  The  desire  of  the  healed  demoniac  made  more 
culpable  the  request  of  the  Gadarenes.  The  traitor  Judas 
kept  company  with  “that  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved.”  The 
glory  of  the  Entry  of  Triumph  slipped  into  the  bitterness  of 
the  cry,  “Crucify!”  The  offered  crown  as  king  was  made 
real  in  the  Crown  of  Thorns.  After  the  brightness  of  the 
Transfiguration  came  the  darkness  of  the  Cross.  His  preach¬ 
ing  produced  many  results. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD  IN  HIS  PREACHING 


The  progress  of  method  may  be  observed  in  the  preaching 
of  Jesus.  He  did  not  depend  upon  accidents  to  give  form  and 
method  to  his  ministry.  Order  and  development  marked  his 
plans.  It  did  not  appear  needful  to  him  to  sketch  his  plans 
for  his  disciples  or  the  people,  but  in  his  own  mind  the  way  to 
be  followed  was  clear  even  from  the  beginning  of  his  public 
work. 

This  study  of  progress  in  methods  takes  up  only  incidentally 
the  material  of  his  preaching.  Speculation  as  to  his  method 
might  be  interesting  but  unprofitable.  We  base  our  study 
upon  the  Gospels  as  faithful  records  of  the  material  and 
methods  of  Jesus’  ministry.  A  larger  array  of  facts  would 
have  given  a  larger  but  not  truer  perspective.  The  design 
of  his  incarnation  shaped  his  plans.  The  disciples  were 
willing  to  follow  Jesus  without  insight  into  the  other  end  of 
the  journey.  Jesus  knew  his  way;  he  was  not  lost  in  the 
wilderness  of  duties.  His  goal  must  be  reached  though  many 
trials  should  be  the  portion  of  Preacher  and  disciples. 

I.  Method  of  Homiletical  Presentation 

1.  PLACES. — The  preaching  of  Jesus  reached  the  popu¬ 
lation  of  both  city  and  rural  districts.  It  has  been  estimated 
that  there  were  at  least  twTo  hundred  and  fifty  villages  in 
Galilee  in  his  time.  These  represent  the  country  life,  since 
the  modern  farm  life  was  not  then  known.  Neither  city  nor 

262 


HIS  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


263 


country  could  lay  exclusive  claim  to  his  work.  The  data  are 
not  sufficient  to  permit  a  comparison  of  his  preaching  with 
regard  to  the  various  individual  places. 

A  general  plan,  however,  may  be  discovered.  Jesus'  general 
plan  called  for  the  evangelization  first  of  the  northern  regions 
of  Palestine,  with  occasional  visits  to  the  southern  parts.  Gali¬ 
lee  received  the  largest  attention  from  him,  and  from  here  he 
made  journeys  into  the  contiguous  sections.  Toward  the 
close  of  his  ministry  he  began  to  work  toward  Jerusalem 
that  he  might  surrender  his  life  in  the  city  of  the  prophets. 

The  reason  for  this  remaining  so  largely  away  from  Judea 
and  especially  Jerusalem  can  easily  be  found  in  the  extreme 
antagonism  that  the  religious  leaders  had  for  Jesus;  it  was 
the  part  of  wisdom  to  shun  the  places  in  which  they  were 
most  influential,  a  crisis  and  a  possible  calamity  thus  being 
avoided.  Jesus  expected  to  become  a  martyr  to  the  truth, 
but  he  desired  to  fix  the  time  and  environments  of  his  sacri¬ 
fice.  His  ministry  must  reach  certain  people  before  the  end 
should  come.  It  was  during  the  Passion  Week  that  he 
delivered  more  of  the  recorded  discourses  in  Jerusalem  than 
in  all  the  previous  time,  the  ratio  being  ten  to  four.  The 
Holy  City  was  the  storm-centre  of  opposition;  Jesus  kept 
away  except  for  short  occasional  visits. 

2.  DISCOURSE  MATERIAL.— Using  the  Diagram  of  Prog¬ 
ress  of  Method,  valuable  deductions  may  be  made.  The 
columns  show  the  periods  of  Jesus’  ministry  and  the  side 
numbers  indicate  the  times  of  occurrence  of  the  various 
items.  The  discourse  material  has  two  currents,  the  discourses 
and  the  fragmentary  sayings.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  re¬ 
corded  discourses  follow  this  line  of  wave:  the  wave  begins 
in  Period  I.  with  three  in  number,  rises  in  Period  II.  to  four, 
then  in  Period  III.  to  ten,  and  in  Period  IV.  falls  to  five,  then 
reaches  its  maximum  in  Period  V.  with  twrenty-one,  and 


264 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


falls  again  in  Period  VI.  to  eleven,  which  is  higher  than  the 
former  rise  before  the  crest.  Including  the  last  week  in  the 
count,  the  last  seven  months  of  his  ministry  contained  thirty- 
two  of  the  fifty-four  discourses.  The  wave  of  the  fragmen¬ 
tary  sayings  gives  the  same  general  results.  The  wave 
begins  with  seven,  repeats  it,  rises  to  ten,  falls  to  six,  rises  to 
nine,  ends  with  thirteen. 

The  interpretation  of  these  figures  is  interesting.  For 
the  first  fifteen  months,  approximately,  the  records  suggest 
that  the  ministry  of  Jesus  was  passing  through  its  obscure 
period.  His  discourse  material  for  this  time  would  naturally 
be  important,  but  in  comparison  with  his  later  deliverances 
could  better  be  abbreviated.  Only  seven  discourses  are 
recorded  for  this  time.  The  third  period,  passed  in  Galilee, 
was  one  of  great  preaching  and  activity.  After  the  quiet  of 
the  summer  of  Period  IV.  the  Master  was  extremely  busy. 
His  reputation  by  this  time  had  reached  to  all  parts  of  the 
country,  his  enemies  had  increased  in  numbers  and  hatred, 
and  his  following  had  become  great.  The  disciples  had  so 
far  appreciated  his  ministry  as  to  be  able  to  receive  more 
definite  instruction  regarding  the  kingdom.  With  one  excep¬ 
tion  the  records  give  an  increasing  number  of  the  discourses 
delivered  in  each  period. 

The  progress  of  his  message  in  interest  and  importance 
may  here  be  indicated.  Special  regard  would  attach  to  his 
words,  for  he  had  aroused  the  country;  Jesus  was  moving 
toward  his  end  and  felt  the  pressure  of  the  shortness  of  the 
time  to  give  full  preparation  to  his  followers. 

3.  QUOTATIONS. — The  wave  for  the  direct  quotations 
from  the  Old  Testament  begins  with  three,  repeats  it,  rises 
to  thirteen,  falls  to  zero,  rises  to  four,  ends  with  eleven. 
Almost  half  of  the  entire  list  of  quotations  fall  within  the 
third  period.  One-third  of  them  were  used  in  the  Passion 


HIS  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


265 


DIAGRAM  OF  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


The  ministry  of  Jesus  is  divided  into  the  following  periods; 

I.  From  Passover  27  a.  d.  to  December  27  a.  d. 

II.  From  December  27  A.  d.  to  Early  Summer  28  a.  d. 

III.  From  Early  Summer  28  a.  d.  to  Passover  29  a.  d. 

IV.  From  Passover  29  a.  d.  to  Autumn  29  a.  d. 

V.  From  Autumn  29  a.  d.  to  Spring  30  A.  d. 

VI.  During  Passover  30  a.  d. 

The  Diagram  indicates: 

1.  Discourses. 

2.  Fragmentary  Sayings. 

3.  Direct  Quotations. 

4.  Parables. 

5.  Miracles. 


266 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Week.  These  two  periods  were  crises  in  his  ministry,  and 
Jesus  turned  toward  the  sacred  literature  to  attest  his  right 
to  speak  upon  religion;  he  dealt  with  the  basis  of  the  current 
faith.  He  felt  the  need  to  give  his  disciples  the  correct  view 
of  their  sacred  writings.  About  half  of  the  quotations  came 
within  the  last  seven  months,  including  the  last  week  of  his 
life. 

4.  PARABLES. — The  parable  wave  runs  thus:  Periods  I. 
and  II.  none,  eight  in  Period  III.,  one  in  Period  IV.,  twenty- 
one  in  Period  V.,  six  in  Period  VI.  The  time  element  in  the 
rise  and  use  of  the  parable  helps  to  indicate  its  purpose.  It 
will  be  seen  that  no  recorded  parable  occurs  for,  approxi- 
matelv,  the  first  fifteen  months  of  Jesus’  ministrv.  By  com- 
bining  into  one  Periods  V.  and  VI.,  in  time  the  last  seven 
months,  it  will  be  observed  that  with  the  exception  of 
one  parable  in  Period  IV.  the  entire  ministry  of  parables 
was  embraced  in  two  Periods,  III.,  V.-VL  It  will  further 
appear  that  these  two  periods  show  the  intense  opposition 
from  the  religious  leaders,  Period  III.  giving  the  opposition 
as  it  had  so  far  gained  power  to  show  itself  and  Periods  V.- 
VL  giving  the  final  culmination  and  success  in  the  death  of 
Jesus. 

The  parable,  then,  in  its  historical  inception  came  as  a 
polemical  expedient.  It  was  not  his  initial  form  of  preaching. 
Seven  of  the  recorded  discourses  are  in  the  periods  before 
that  in  which  the  parables  begin.  His  enemies  forced  Jesus 
to  adopt  this  form  of  instruction.  If  he  had  openly  declared 
the  full  import  of  his  message  regarding  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  the  leaders  would  have  precipitated  his  death  prema¬ 
turely,  or  at  least  have  so  largely  obstructed  his  work  as  to 
disturb  his  plans.  The  parable  gave  Jesus  the  opportunity 
to  condemn  his  enemies,  who  caught  some  of  his  hidden 
meaning  and  knew  that  he  criticised  them,  and  to  instruct 


HIS  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


267 


his  disciples,  who  could  better  appreciate  the  veiled  truths 
and  could  seek  personal  help  from  the  Preacher. 

All  the  parables  did  not  have  the  immediate  polemical 
occasion  for  delivery.  The  pedagogical  combined  with  the 
polemical  purpose  to  give  the  parable  a  permanent  place  in 
Jesus’  ministry  after  its  first  use.  During  the  last  seven 
months  of  his  life  Jesus  spoke  twenty-seven  parables  of  our 
records,  six  being  in  the  Last  Week.  In  this  period  focalized 
the  hatreds  and  plans  of  his  foes.  But  the  great  Preacher 
could  not  put  aside  his  work  until  his  own  will  ordered  the  day. 

5.  MIRACLES. — The  miracle  wave  runs  thus:  one  in 
Period  I.,  eight  in  Period  II.,  eleven  in  Period  III.,  six  in 
Period  IV.,  six  in  Period  V.,  two  in  Period  VI.  The  miracle 
was  used  as  an  accessory  to  preaching.  Only  one  miracle  is 
recorded  for  the  first  eight  months  of  his  ministry.  The 
crest  of  the  wave  comes  in  the  third  period  with  eleven  in 
number.  Thence  there  is  decline  to  the  end,  but,  if  Periods 
V.  and  VI.  be  united,  there  is  a  slight  rise  for  the  last  seven 
months.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  greatest  number  oc¬ 
curred  in  the  period  of  opposition — III.  Six  out  of  the  nine 
general  references  to  his  habit  of  working  miracles  also  fall 
in  this  period.  Jesus  desired  to  call  attention  not  to  his 
great  power  of  miracles  but  to  himself  and  his  truth  for  the 
soul.  Miracles  were  but  contributors:.  The  Master  Preacher 

V 

could  attract  men  without  this  spectacular  aid.  He  pre¬ 
ferred  that  men  should  turn  their  hearts  to  the  spiritual  side 
of  his  ministry. 

6.  SUMMARY  OF  DIAGRAM. — A  few  important  facts 
of  summary  may  be  noticed  in  the  Diagram  of  the  Progress  of 
Method  in  Jesus’  preaching.  The  ascending  order  for  begin¬ 
ning  is  this,  parables,  miracles,  quotations  and  discourses, 
and  fragmentary  sayings.  In  Period  II.  only  miracles  and 
discourses  make  a  rise.  Parables  alone  fail  to  begin  with 


268 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Period  I.  Period  III.  contains  the  high  rise  for  all  waves 
but  not  the  highest  for  all.  Miracles  and  quotations  reach 
here  their  crest.  This  was  a  time  of  special  activity  and 
struggle  against  enemies.  Period  IV.  is  the  fall  for  all  the 
waves;  Period  V.  is  the  period  of  rise  for  all  but  miracles, 
which  remain  stationary.  All  waves  end  in  Period  VI.,  as 
all  but  parables  had  begun  in  Period  I.  Parables  and  dis¬ 
courses  reach  higher  than  any  others.  Without  exception 
all  the  waves  end  above  their  origin  in  Period  I. ;  parables 
end  two  lower  than  their  origin  in  Period  III. 

II.  Method  of  Pedagogical  Presentation 

1.  FROM  SIMPLE  TO  COMPLEX— The  method  of  ped¬ 
agogical  presentation  in  Jesus’  preaching  stressed  this  dogma 
of  modern  education.  He  passed  from  the  simple  to  the 
more  difficult  statements  of  his  message.  He  observed  great 
care  in  unfolding  his  truths,  clear  and  well-defined  in  his 
own  mind  but  hard  for  his  followers  to  grasp.  The  Ser¬ 
mon  on  the  Mount  is  called  the  Manifesto  of  the  Kingdom, 
giving  a  summary  of  its  principles.  It  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  this  sermon  was  delivered  more  than  a  year  after 
his  ministry  had  begun  and  is  listed  as  eight  in  the  recorded 
discourses.  Seven  miracles  of  healing  and  two  nature  mira¬ 
cles  had  been  wrought,  and  three  general  references  to  his 
custom  of  miracles  precede  the  Sermon. 

Jesus  was  gradual  in  his  teaching.  He  did  not  startle 
and  confuse  his  followers  at  first  by  truths  that  were  alto¬ 
gether  beyond  their  apprehension.  He  led  them  to  a  larger 
receptive  ability.  There  was  a  gradual  development  in  his 
preaching.  It  was  after  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  that  many 
of  his  disciples  complained  at  his  teaching,  since  the  stern¬ 
ness  of  his  ethics  called  for  high  and  noble  living  to  which 
they  had  been  unaccustomed. 


HIS  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


269 


When  Jesus  had  about  completed  his  work,  having  filled 
his  public  life  with  intense  activity  in  many  ways,  he  startled 
his  disciples  in  his  Last  Discourse  with  this  statement:  “I 
have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear 
them  now.  Howbeit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come, 
he  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth.”  1  Jesus  began  with 
the  simple  and  led  to  the  complex  truths  of  his  purpose  to 
save  men.  When  he  had  reached  the  limit  of  the  under¬ 
standing  of  the  disciples,  he  transferred  their  education  to 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

2.  TRAINING  THE  DISCIPLES.— The  task  of  evangel¬ 
ization  of  the  world  through  a  small  company  of  men  re¬ 
quired  the  utmost  care  in  the  selection  and  preparation  of 
these  men.  Jesus  was  progressive  in  his  training.  He 
gathered  his  men  from  their  vocations  to  a  constant  compan¬ 
ionship  with  himself  and  permitted  to  them  public  and  pri¬ 
vate  instruction  in  the  principles  of  his  ideas  of  religion. 
They  saw  his  miracles  and  the  influence  he  exerted  over 
forces  of  nature  and  over  men.  He  added  to  their  knowledge 
according  to  their  growing  capacity  to  receive  further  princi¬ 
ples.  He  even  sent  them  out,  when  they  had  reached  the 
point  of  development  where  they  were  equal  to  such  work, 
on  a  mission  of  preaching  and  healing,  conferring  upon 
them  the  grace  that  empowered  his  own  life. 

They  could  not  have  carried  on  his  work  if  he  had  com¬ 
mitted  it  to  them  in  the  first  stages  of  his  public  life.  Old 
errors  were  to  be  replaced  by  the  new  truths,  confidence  in 
himself  as  the  Saviour  was  to  be  created,  a  consuming  zeal 
for  inner  righteousness  should  burn  away  desire  for  Pharisa¬ 
ism  in  piety,  and  his  own  lowly  service  should  lift  their  ideal 
of  greatness  from  the  lordly  display  to  the  humility  of  a 
servant.  Jesus  needed  time  to  do  this  training.  He  was  most 

1  Jn.  16:  12,  13. 


270 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


careful  and  deliberate.  The  duties  to  be  entrusted  were  too 
vital  to  admit  of  hasty  preparation. 

3.  SELF-MANIFESTATION. — The  self-manifestation  of 
Jesus  was  progressive.  He  did  not  declare  his  Messiah- 
ship  equally  clearly  and  prominently  at  all  times  and  places. 
He  permitted  his  early  disciples  to  believe  in  and  to  declare 
his  Messiahship.  He  thus  announced  himself  to  the  Samari¬ 
tan  woman,  and  allowed  other  citizens  of  Sychar  to  accept 
him  as  such.  A  little  more  than  a  year  later  the  embassy 
came  from  John  the  Baptist,  and  Jesus  sent  back  a  message 
that  implied  his  Messiahship.  Yet  later  his  request  for  an 
expression  of  opinion  about  himself  led  to  the  confession  of 
Peter  near  Caesarea  Philippi,  “Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  living  God.”  1  Jesus  declared  that  such  knowledge 
had  been  God’s  special  revelation  to  Peter. 

But  these  self-manifestations  had  been  made  to  his  disciples. 
He  had  not  given  large  public  announcement  to  his  Mes¬ 
sianic  claim  except  in  his  preaching  of  the  kingdom.  General 
emphasis  of  these  claims  would  have  caused  the  leaders  to 
consummate  sooner  their  growing  plans  for  violence  against 
Jesus.  They  were  restrained  by  fear  of  the  people,  whom 
Jesus  had  moved  to  partisanship  but  whom  the  leaders  might 
stir  up  over  questions  of  prejudice  and  lower  ideals  of  the 
Messiah. 

It  was  not  until  his  trial  that  Jesus  gave  public  avowal  to 
his  enemies  that  he  was  the  Messiah.  The  high  priest  asked 
the  direct  question:  “Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
Blessed?  And  Jesus  said,  I  am:  and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of 
man  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  Power  and  coming  with  the 
clouds  of  heaven.”  2  His  use  of  the  term  Son  of  man  had 
been  a  real  assertion  of  his  Messiahship,  for  he  put  into  it 
his  own  meaning,  which  the  disciples  were  appropriating 
iMt.  16:16.  2  Mk.  14:61,  62. 


HIS  PROGRESS  OF  METHOD 


271 


gradually.  He  waited  the  opportune  time  to  announce  his 
coming  death. 

4.  APPROACH  TO  CALVARY. — No  one  but  Jesus  knew 
the  proper  approach  to  Calvary.  He  insistently  refused  to 
be  diverted  from  his  plans.  The  first  year  of  his  ministry 
was  one  of  comparative  obscurity.  Only  one  miracle  is  re¬ 
corded  for  this  period.  His  disciples  needed  his  attention. 
The  second  year  was  one  of  great  favor  with  the  people 
and  growing  hatred  from  the  leaders.  The  subsequent  time 
was  filled  with  intense  opposition. 

The  leaders  did  not  dare  to  show  their  severe  enmity  at 
first.  At  least  a  year,  and  probably  two  years,  prior  to  his 
death  the  Jews  of  Jerusalem  had  so  far  increased  in  hostility 
to  Jesus  as  to  desire  and  plan  his  death  upon  the  accusation 
of  blasphemy  and  desecration  of  the  Sabbath.  "The  Jews 
sought  the  more  to  kill  him,  because  he  not  only  brake  the 
Sabbath,  but  also  called  God  his  own  Father,  making  him¬ 
self  equal  with  God.”  1  Jesus  recognized  the  bearing  that 
such  hostility  might  have  upon  his  work,  and  remained 
away  from  Jerusalem  much  of  the  time. 

At  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  six  months  before  his  death, 
a  plan  to  seize  him  miscarried.  He  was  not  ready  to  surrender 
his  life.  “They  sought  therefore  to  take  him:  and  no  man 
laid  his  hand  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come.”  2 
But  when  the  time  had  come,  he  quietly  submitted,  conscious 
that  his  work  would  succeed  and  that  his  death  would  consum¬ 
mate  his  mission.  The  death  of  Jesus  came  according  to  his 
own  adjustment  of  the  time  element.  His  method  of  approach 
to  Calvary  was  progressive  and  personal, 
i  Jn.  5:  18. 


2  Jn.  7:  30. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


THE  SUCCESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


The  earthly  life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth  lay  between  the 
cattle-trough  of  a  crowded  inn  and  the  shadows  of  an  unjust 
crucifixion.  Neither  scene  would  suggest  a  successful  career. 
Was  Jesus  a  success  as  a  Preacher  ? 

I.  The  Standard  of  Success 

1.  THE  PREACHER’S  IDEAL. — The  standard  of  success 
has  too  often  been  erected  by  unsympathetic  critics,  whether 
the  subject  be  the  ministry  of  Jesus  or  that  of  others.  The 
preacher’s  ideal  of  his  ministry  constitutes  an  element  of  judg¬ 
ment  regarding  his  success.  This  ideal  must  be  considered 
from  two  angles  of  vision — the  quality  of  the  ideal,  and  the 
relation  between  the  ideal  and  the  actual  ministry.  The 
preacher’s  own  experience  must  be  allowed  to  testify  as  to 
his  ambitions  and  their  course.  What  have  been  his  dreams, 
and  have  they  come  true  ?  Has  his  endowment  of  talents 
gathered  the  intended  interest  ?  Has  he  been  dominated  by 
possibilities  ?  Has  his  ideal  been  sufficiently  noble  and  has 
he  been  loyal  thereto  ?  These  are  questions  that  enter  to  form 
the  basis  for  the  standard  of  success. 

The  ideal  of  Jesus  gave  direction  to  his  ministry  and  should 
measure  his  success.  He  intended  his  preaching  to  be  brief 
in  time,  spiritual  in  contents,  initiative  for  his  kingdom  of 
heaven,  and  preparatory  for  the  Christian  pulpit.  He  came 
to  announce  an  evangel  so  simple  that  the  uncultured  might 

272 


THE  SUCCESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


273 


receive  it,  and  yet  so  profound  that  the  scholar  might  accept 
its  worth,  and  to  preach  so  fully  that  the  results  might  be 
formative  of  the  subsequent  religious  belief  and  life.  He  did 
not  come  to  sceptre  Israel,  limited  to  Judaism  or  amalgamated 
with  the  Gentiles,  the  kingdom  assuming  the  limits  of  a  world 
power.  His  preaching  w^as  designed  for  spiritual  aims,  thereby 
giving  it  permanency  and  universality.  Jesus’  ideal  carried 
him  to  self-sacrifice  that  he  might  attest  and  empower  his 
evangel.  The  Cross  was  his  intended  goal.  The  varied 
characteristics  of  his  homiletics  should  partly  determine  one’s 
judgment  of  his  success,  for  Jesus  had  his  ideal  of  the  preach¬ 
ing  that  was  needed. 

2.  THE  PREACHER’S  EFFORT.— The  success  should 
also  be  measured  according  to  the  preacher’s  efforts.  The 
ministry  of  Jesus  was  intensely  active  in  care  for  the  distressed, 
in  healing  the  sick,  in  preaching  the  glad  tidings  to  all  classes, 
in  raising  the  dead,  in  casting  out  demons,  and  in  training 
his  disciples.  Weary  and  worn  with  constant  efforts,  Jesus 
was  sought  by  all  kinds  of  people,  his  welcome  and  help  being 
cordial  and  free.  Jesus  was  always  busy.  He  packed  into 
his  brief  public  life  many  deeds.  His  effort  reached  out  to 
embody  his  ideal.  Hope  and  act  were  correlated.  He 
incarnated  his  ambitions.  His  success  must  be  judged  by 
this  element. 

3.  THE  PREACHER’S  RESULTS.— A  third  element  of 
the  standard  of  success  is  results.  This  is  usually  the  more 
prominent,  but  it  should  be  properly  related  and  subordinated 
to  the  other  two.  The  results  of  his  ministry  attest  the  success 
of  Jesus. 


II.  The  Success  of  Numbers 

1.  CROWDS. — The  ministry  of  Jesus  was  to  the  crowds. 
He  did  not  foist  upon  a  credulous  public  novel  schemes  by 

18 


274 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


which  to  attract  the  immense  crowds.1  He  and  his  work  were 
the  only  advertisements  that  he  offered.  His  journeys  were 
attended  by  vast  multitudes  who  never  seemed  to  tire  of  his 
presence  and  personal  benefits.  The  record  of  Luke  is 
representative  of  the  general  custom:  ‘‘In  the  mean  time, 
when  the  many  thousands  of  the  multitude  were  gathered 
together,  insomuch  that  they  trod  one  upon  another,  he  began 
to  say  unto  his  disciples.”  2  The  two  miracles  of  feeding  four 
and  five  thousand  men  also  indicate  this  success  of  numbers. 
The  rumor  of  his  presence  brought  crowds  that  often  filled 
the  house. 

Jesus  did  not  attempt  to  arouse  these  large  gatherings;  they 
were  the  spontaneous  testimony  to  his  attraction.  He  some¬ 
times  forbade  recital  of  his  cures,  lest  the  multitudes  should 
become  too  large.  It  would  be  easy  for  such  numbers  to  have 
their  zeal  misdirected,  and  Jesus  desired  to  escape  this.  He 
created  a  sensation  and  knew  how  to  manage  it.  The  ordinary 
preacher  rejoices  rightly  in  the  privilege  to  preach  to  two  or 
three  thousand  people  at  once,  but  the  success  of  numbers 
was  so  great  with  Jesus  that  he  was  often  forced  to  slip  from 
the  crowds  in  order  to  secure  rest  and  food.  The  history  of 
profane  and  sacred  oratory  does  not  show  a  greater  success  of 
numbers. 

2.  FAME. — The  success  of  numbers  passed  beyond  the 
immediate  company  of  those  who  had  personal  touch  with 
Jesus.  His  fame  surpassed  the  limits  of  his  actual  ministry. 
“And  the  report  of  him  went  forth  into  all  Syria.”  3  The 
four  centuries  of  silence  of  the  prophetic  office  had  been 
broken  by  the  Nazarene,  whose  claims,  attested  and  approved 
by  God,  were  greater  than  any  former  prophet  had  advanced. 
His  reputation  flew  upon  eagle  wings.  His  miracles,  his 


i  Cf.  Mt.  7:  28;  Mk.  10:  46;  Lk.  4:  42;  5:  29;  Jn.  7:  12;  Mt.  8:  1;  4:  24,  25. 
2Lk.  12:1.  sMt.  4:24. 


THE  SUCCESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


275 


strange  gentleness  and  calmness  amid  the  storms  of  rabbinical 
hatred  and  opposition,  his  unrestricted  fellowship  with  the 
poor  and  the  sinful,  and  his  wonderful  discourses  sent  afar 
the  news  of  his  power  and  goodness. 

In  the  hearts  of  many  thousands  must  have  glowed  the 
ambition  to  see  and  hear  Jesus.  The  coming  of  the  Greeks, 
inspired  by  curiosity  or  an  aroused  conscience,  must  have  been 
typical  of  the  common  desire.  With  imaginations  stirred  by 
reports  of  his  deeds  and  with  eagerness  of  hope  many  people 
must  have  yearned  for  his  coming  to  their  community. 
Stories  were  told  of  his  wonders,  as  his  beneficiaries  and  their 
friends  might  return  to  their  homes.  “The  common  people 
therefore  of  the  Jews  learned  that  he  was  there:  and  they  came, 
not  for  Jesus’  sake  only,  but  that  they  might  see  Lazarus 
also,  whom  he  had  raised  from  the  dead.”  1  Fame  may  not 
be  a  test  of  enduring  success,  but  Jesus  had  its  full  benefit. 

3.  FRIENDS.— The  immense  crowds  were  not  assembled 
mainly  through  the  influence  of  the  spiritual  purpose  and 
message  of  Jesus.  But  he  was  not  deceived  by  their  presence; 
he  knew  their  motives.  He  accused  the  recently  fed  multitudes 
of  seeking  him  again  because  of  the  loaves  and  fishes.  But 
Jesus  gathered  to  himself  a  few  faithful  and  trusted  friends 
whose  sense  of  spiritual  verities  could  be  so  cultivated  as  to 
enable  them  to  undertake  the  evangelization  of  the  world  in 
obedience  to  their  Master’s  command  and  plan. 

The  exact  number  of  these  friends  can  not  be  estimated, 
but  one  must  not  let  a  small  estimate  cause  a  lack  of  appre¬ 
ciation  of  Jesus’  success.  We  know  of  the  Twelve,  the 
ministering  women,  the  Seventy,  the  five  hundred  brethren 
to  whom  he  appeared  after  his  resurrection,  and  the  one 
hundred  and  twenty  who  had  assembled  at  Pentecost.  A 
just  estimate  would  fix  his  immediate  followers  at  least  at 


i  Jn.  12:  9. 


276 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


six  hundred,  allowing  for  duplicates  in  the  above  lists.  For 
such  a  short  ministry  this  would  indicate  great  success.  To 
this  number  might  be  added  some  less  courageous  and  open 
believers. 

III.  The  Success  for  the  Apostolate 

1.  SELECTION. — The  purpose  of  Jesus  called  for  a  trans¬ 
ferred  ministry.  He  was  not  to  remain  until  he  should  per¬ 
sonally  evangelize  the  world.  This  task  should  fall  to  his 
followers.  Jesus’  method  of  instituting  this  work  was  unique. 
He  selected  the  Twelve  to  form  the  apostolate,  from  whom 
should  proceed  the  forces  and  truths  that  should  be  required 
for  this  world  mission.  To  them  should  come  the  duty  of 
impressing  men  with  the  worth  of  the  Nazarene  and  his 
religion.  Only  the  prophetic  vision  could  have  uncovered 
the  coming  years  in  which  this  apostolate  should  measure  up 
to  this  unparalleled  undertaking. 

These  men  were  rough  in  manners,  unlettered  in  the 
sciences  of  men,  circumscribed  by  their  own  religious  com¬ 
munion,  and  with  no  suggestions  toward  evangelism.  But 
the  wisdom  and  success  of  Jesus  in  his  choice  have  been  fully 
demonstrated  in  the  success  that  attended  the  work  of  these 
apostles.  They  were  able  to  increase  the  following  of  Jesus 
through  their  witness  to  the  primary  data  about  his  life  and 
teachings.  In  this  common  band,  committed  to  the  common 
task,  were  united  varieties  of  temperament  and  gifts.  If  they 
had  failed,  the  nascent  Christian  community  would  have  been 
seriously  hindered  in  its  growth.  However,  they  succeeded 
beyond  their  hopes.  Jesus  had  made  a  wise  selection.  He 
knew  human  character. 

2.  TRAINING. — It  was  not  sufficient  to  select  the  aposto¬ 
late.  Selection  must  lead  to  training.  He  matriculated  them 
in  the  school  of  personal  contact  with  himself.  This  method 


THE  SUCCESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


277 


of  instruction  was  most  vitalizing  and  intimate.  His  ministry 
had  only  begun  when  he  chose  them  to  be  with  him  in  his 
public  life.  For  twro  or  more  years  he  kept  them  in  reach  of 
himself,  giving  them  private  teaching  as  well  as  public.  It  is 
not  a  marvel  that  these  simple-hearted,  teachable  men  of  toil 
should  have  been  transformed  into  evangelists  of  unconquered 
bravery. 

Their  personal  contact  with  their  Master  made  them  a 
factor  in  the  new  religious  life.  They  saw  his  methods, 
caught  his  spirit,  and  learned  to  appreciate  his  point  of  view. 
Jesus  succeeded  in  impressing  himself  and  his  ideals  upon  the 
Twelve.  This  personal  contact  element  in  education  has 
found  form  in  the  famous  definition  of  a  university  as  being 
“Mark  Hopkins  on  one  end  of  a  log  and  a  boy  on  the  other.” 
This  method  does  not  lend  itself  to  tangible  methods  in 
estimating  results,  but  it  is  the  most  directive.  Jesus  put  his 
life  into  his  men  daily. 

The  apostles  received  the  further  lesson  of  miracles.  Jesus 
permitted  them  to  behold  this  secondary  proof  of  his  divinity. 
Having  believed  in  him  and  left  all  for  his  service,  the  apostles 
could  have  their  confidence  in  him  confirmed  by  these 
miracles.  The  lesson  of  miracles  was  even  more  intimate. 
Jesus  used  the  miracle  to  attest  his  ability  to  help  them  in 
their  later  w’ork  and  needs.  Fie  granted  them  power  to  work 
miracles,  and  yet  so  restricted  their  privileges  as  to  compel 
them  to  recognize  that  they  must  constantly  look  to  him. 
Their  failure  to  cure  the  demoniac  boy  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  of  Jesus’  transfiguration  accented  this  dependence. 
Jesus  gave  them  preliminary  training  in  the  use  of  dynamics. 

The  apostles  wTere  to  begin  their  ministry  under  new 
conditions.  They  had  no  text-books  of  their  new  faith,  yet 
they  were  expected  to  preach  a  definite  evangel.  Jesus 
prepared  them  by  giving  them  new  interpretations  of  the 


278 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


old  truths,  new  revelations,  a  new  outlook  on  life,  and  new 
incentives.  He  displaced  the  current  opinions.  His  teachings 
were  made  clearer  to  them  after  his  resurrection  and  bv  the 

%J 

enlightenment  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  promised  to  complete 
their  education  for  their  duty  by  the  empowerment  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Apostolic  history  reveals  his  success  in  the 
apostolate. 


IV.  The  Success  of  Saviourhood 

1.  THE  PULPIT  PREPARATORY  TO  THE  CROSS.— 

The  preaching  of  Jesus  was  preparatory  to  his  Saviourhood. 
His  primary  purpose  was  not  to  preach  but  to  save  the  lost. 
His  ministry  of  truth  was  incidental  to  his  death.  Estimates 
of  him  as  the  Preacher  should  consider  this  fact.  Calvary 
w^as  the  end,  the  pulpit  the  method  of  approach.  His  homi¬ 
letics  must  be  viewed  in  the  light  of  his  redemption.  His 
success  has  been  so  marked  that  men  look  to  his  Cross  as  the 
symbol  of  their  salvation.  His  word  of  truth  turned  men 
toward  the  hill  of  sacrifice. 

2.  THE  VITALITY  OF  THE  CROSS.— The  Preacher  did 
not  err  in  his  view  of  life.  He  redeemed  his  promises. 
Jesus  was  not  a  failure,  for  his  wonderful  homiletics  did  not 
end  with  the  Cross.  By  the  dynamics  of  the  Cross  Jesus  has 
been  able  to  energize  all  believers  in  all  ages.  The  Saviour 
confirmed  the  Preacher. 

V.  The  Success  of  the  Ages 

1.  THE  THORNLESS  CROWN. — Jesus  once  wore  the 
crown  of  thorns;  throughout  the  ages  he  has  worn  the  crown 
of  worship.  Other  teachers  and  preachers  have  had  their 
contemporary  sway  and  have  passed  into  neglect.  The 
Nazarene  holds  chief  place  through  all  the  ages.  The  list 
of  immortal  authors  and  thinkers  is  very  small ;  dust  and  for- 


THE  SUCCESS  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


279 


getfulness  have  come  to  most  men.  Jesus  is  still  fresh  and 
interesting.  Time’s  chaplet  of  honor  abides  imperishable 
for  him. 

2.  BACK  TO  CHRIST. — A  modern  cry  of  “  Back  to 
Christ”  has  arisen.  Its  advocates  have  been  stirred  with 
dissatisfaction  with  the  interpretation  of  him  given  by  the 
apostles.  This  impulse  to  question  these  interpreters  may 
not  be  approved.  Yet  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  Jesus 
is  the  primary  source  of  Christianity,  and  in  studying  him  and 
his  homiletics  the  student  deals  in  fundamentals  and  sources. 
Through  the  ages  the  glory  of  Jesus  has  run.  Back  to  Christ 
for  the  primary  truth  and  inspiration  for  duty  wdll  lead  to 
Forward  to  Christ  for  service  and  world-conquest. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


THE  NORM-VALUE  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


Jesus  is  the  creator  of  the  Christian  pulpit.  Through  his 
own  custom  and  his  influence  upon  the  apostolic  preaching 
the  pulpit  was  firmly  established  as  the  specialty  of  Christian¬ 
ity  and  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  an  essential  of  religious 
service  and  worship.  The  principles  that  gave  power  to  the 
preaching  of  Jesus  may  be  translated  into  the  ministry  of 
every  pulpit,  but  with  the  recognition  of  certain  elements 
that  belong  exclusively  to  Jesus.  His  preaching  has  a  norm- 
value  for  the  ministry  of  to-day.  It  was  the  perfect  standard, 
approach  to  whose  excellence  would  give  worth  to  other 
ministries.  A  complete  survey  of  this  norm-value  of  Jesus’ 
preaching  would  lead  to  a  re-examination  of  the  subjects  of 
the  previous  chapters  in  order  to  trace  the  possible  resem¬ 
blances  between  his  and  other  preaching.  The  preference, 
however,  here  is  to  indicate  a  few  basal  comparisons  by 
which  this  standard  may  be  observed. 

I.  In  Relation  to  the  Message 

1.  ITS  ORIGIN. — The  message  of  Jesus  had  its  origin  in  the 
purpose  of  God.  “The  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine,  but 
the  Father’s  who  sent  me.”  1  His  message  was  received  from 
God.  Back  of  his  own  masterly  conception  and  presentation 
of  the  truth  Jesus  recognized  the  finality  for  the  origin  and 
authority  of  truth  to  be  in  the  Father.  Questions  about  the 

i  Jn.  14:24. 

280 


THE  NORM- VALUE  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


281 


Trinity  need  not  disturb  our  inquiry,  for  the  humiliated  Son 
expressed  himself  as  in  certain  subordination  to  the  Father. 
Originality  in  Jesus’  thought  did  not  go  behind  this  divine 
source.  Jesus  felt  no  conscious  restraint  and  limitation 
from  this  nature  of  his  message  as  from  God.  He  had  joy  in 
honoring  God  as  the  first  thinker  of  his  message. 

The  norm-value  of  Jesus’  preaching  gives  this  first  princi¬ 
ple.  The  ministry  must  accept  the  message  as  it  comes  from 
God.  Herein  lies  the  distinction  between* the  pulpit  and  the 
platform.  The  platform  may  lay  claim  to  individual  vagaries, 
errors,  or  truths,  having  no  standard  of  judgment  but  its  own 
approval  and  the  favor  it  meets  from  the  public;  it  deals  in 
its  own  creations.  But  the  pulpit  by  its  very  nature  and 
ground  for  being  has  its  limits  fixed  by  the  message  that  it 
declares  to  have  been  committed  to  it  from  God  and  the 
Bible.  The  substitution  of  personal  preferences  of  truth 
may  not  be  permitted.  The  attitude  of  John  the  Baptist 
must  be  typical.  His  self-characterization  was:  “I  am  the 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness.”  1  The  preacher 
must  be  content  to  be  only  a  voice,  interpretative  with  correct 
accent  of  the  message,  authoritative  with  the  assurance  of 
the  truth,  and  divinely  inspired.  The  author  of  his  message 
is  God. 

2.  ITS  EMBODIMENT. — Jesus  was  the  incarnation  of 
his  truth.  His  own  life  and  experience  had  first  embodied 
his  word  to  his  followers.  His  demand  for  a  righteousness 
that  should  exceed  the  Pharisaical  externalism  had  found 
expression  in  his  own  spiritual  relations  with  God  and  men, 
the  resultant  life  being  so  pure  and  irreproachable  that  his 
enemies  were  compelled  to  suborn  witnesses  to  testify  against 
him.  His  tender  illustration  of  the  Good  Samaritan  came 
from  his  own  personal  ministries  to  the  sick  and  the  poor. 

1  Jn.  1:  23. 


/ 


282  THE  MASTER  PREACHER 

His  theology  might  well  be  considered  as  his  spiritual  biog¬ 
raphy. 

The  preacher  of  every  age  may  find  here  an  abiding  norm- 
value.  Religion  and  life  are  co-ordinate  terms,  the  preacher 
being  the  exponent  of  both.  Only  as  the  preacher  becomes 
the  incarnation  of  his  message  will  he  be  able  to  bring  his 
ministry  to  its  full  fruition.  The  glad  day  of  such  popular 
demands  upon  the  preacher  has  come  only  after  sad  historical 
failures  from  such  a  standard.  It  was  once  true  that  the 
lecherous  hands  of  some  priest  and  preacher  could  administer, 
unquestioned,  the  sacred  symbols  of  religion,  but  such  a 
day  has  gone,  except  in  places  where  the  truth  has  been 
fettered  and  men  are  in  slaver}7  to  a  corrupt  priesthood. 
Enlightened  communities  demand  personal  piety  in  their 
ministers.  The  influence  of  the  example  and  the  teaching 
of  the  Peerless  Preacher  has  been  felt. 

This  general  demand  for  ministerial  uprightness  has  even 
gone  so  far  as  to  erect  a  different  ethical  standard  for  the 
preacher  from  that  for  the  layman.  The  preacher  feels 
compelled  to  incarnate  his  message  in  his  own  life.  The 
most  effective  sermon  to  the  congregation  is  the  one  that  has 
been  preached  to  the  minister  and  has  become  a  part  of  his 
own  experience.  This  norm-value  of  Jesus’  preaching  will 
never  be  disregarded  by  a  sincere  ministry.  It  will  develop 
depth  of  convictions  and  freedom  from  religious  cant.  The 
preacher  needs  to  linger  with  his  message  until  the  twain 
become  one  flesh. 

3.  FAITHFULNESS. — In  his  Farewell  Prayer  Jesus 
touched  upon  his  own  faithfulness  to  his  message:  “Now 
they  know  that  all  things  whatsoever  thou  hast  given  me  are 
from  thee:  for  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given 
unto  them.  ’ ’ 1  He  did  not  violate  his  trust  of  divine  revelations. 


i  Jo,  17:  7,  8. 


THE  NORM- VALUE  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


283 


This  norm-value  becomes  a  rebuke  to  a  ministry  that 
would  depart  from  the  entrusted  message.  The  stewardship 
of  truth  is  not  less  worthy  and  binding  than  that  of  wealth. 
‘‘Let  a  man  so  account  of  us,  as  of  ministers  of  Christ,  and 
stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God.  Here,  moreover,  it  is 
required  in  stewards  that  a  man  be  found  faithful.’'  1  Deep 
and  earnest  study,  original  thought  and  interpretation  of 
the  sources  of  the  message,  and  patient  investigation  of  all 
the  relations  of  truth  to  human  life  are  not  debarred  by  this 
demand  for  faithfulness.  The  revelation  in  the  Bible  will 
afford  even  the  most  ambitious  student  the  material  for 
thought;  he  need  not  long  for  new  worlds  to  discover. 

The  Bible  gives  finality  to  the  form  of  the  preacher’s  mes¬ 
sage;  if  he  can  not  so  accept  his  commission  and  its  limits,  he 
must  seek  elsewhere  than  the  pulpit  for  his  profession.  The 
Christian  pulpit  has  no  other  object  than  to  declare  and  to 
enforce  the  truth  as  contained  in  the  Bible.  Sufficient  latitude 
of  investigation  and  application  may  be  found  by  the  most 
brilliant  scholar.  But  the  preacher  must  be  faithful  to  his 
message.  He  must  understand  its  meaning  and  seek  to 
impress  men  with  the  importance  of  this  message.  No 
mental  reservations  may  be  permitted.  God  speaks  and 
the  preacher  must  listen  and  repeat  the  message. 

4.  EXPRESSION. — Jesus  selected  the  best  method  for 
the  expression  of  his  message.  He  knew  the  right  word  for 
each  occasion.  His  supreme  place  among  preachers  will  re¬ 
main  unquestioned.  His  message  did  not  suffer  from  its 
form. 

This  norm-value  invites  the  preacher  to  his  best  efforts  to 
give  proper  form  to  his  message.  Delivery  may  make  or  mar 
his  success.  Jesus  mav  well  be  imitated  in  those  rhetorical 

V 

forms  that  bring  clearness  and  force,  grace  and  acceptance 

1 1  Cor.  4:1,  2. 


284 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


for  his  truth.  The  preacher  must  strive  for  the  best  method 
for  each  statement  of  his  vision  of  truth. 

How  to  get  the  best  acceptance  for  his  message  should  not 
be  lightly  considered  by  him  upon  whom  has  fallen  the 
commission  to  speak  for  God.  Truth  is  divine  in  origin  and 
imperative,  but  human  in  interpretation  and  expression. 
Invective,  interrogation,  simile,  metaphor,  illustration,  para¬ 
ble,  persuasion,  argument,  denunciation  will  all  enter  the 
speech  of  the  earnest  preacher,  moved  from  conviction  of 
his  cause  and  led  by  the  Spirit  of  truth.  The  entire  range 
of  impassioned  oratory  may  be  travelled  by  him  who  seeks 
for  the  best  method  to  reproduce  his  message  in  the  lives  of 
his  auditors.  Transformed  life  is  his  aim,  to  which  all  forces 
of  speech  may  contribute. 

This  would  not  be  regarded  as  an  appeal  for  rhetorical 
pyrotechnics  in  the  pulpit.  The  personality  of  the  preacher 
will  determine  the  method  of  speech,  but  no  preacher  has 
the  right  to  permit  idiosyncrasies  to  impair  the  effect  of  his 
message;  the  personal  side  must  be  lost  in  his  vocation  as  the 
divine  messenger. 

II.  In  Relation  to  the  Audience 

1.  OPPORTUNITY. — The  records  do  not  suggest  that 
Jesus  suffered  from  remorse  for  lost  opportunities.  His 
success  in  giving  each  moment  full  value  brings  to  the 
preacher  its  norm-value. 

The  preacher  should  cultivate  the  art  of  insight  into  each 
occasion  that  may  permit  the  truth  to  be  lodged  in  some  life. 
The  future  remains  closed  to  the  preacher;  he  can  not  tell 
what  possibilities  may  reside  in  an  insignificant  moment 
and  privilege.  It  may  be  a  future  missionary  or  minister  who 
will  be  the  single  visible  result  of  some  special  season  of 
effort.  Jesus  did  not  slight  these  obscure  moments.  The 


THE  NORM- VALUE  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


285 


preacher  should  learn  that  the  spectacular  occasion  is  not 
necessarily  the  most  fruitful  in  permanent  results.  Jesus 
also  knew  what  to  do  with  his  audience.  When  should  the 
preacher  appeal,  denounce,  argue,  or  comfort  ?  Happy 
should  he  be  who  can  read  the  meaning  of  each  oratorical 
sign.  Jesus  becomes  the  guide  to  the  preacher  who  would 
linger  with  him  and  observe  his  methods. 

2.  INSIGHT. — Jesus’  insight  into  character  was  perfect. 
He  never  made  a  mistake  in  his  estimate  of  the  worth  of  an 
individual.  No  man  had  need  to  instruct  him  in  the  way 
toward  the  inner  life.  The  secret  thoughts,  the  evil  inten¬ 
tions,  and  the  unuttered  discontent  passed  through  his 
vision  to  the  utter  wonder  and  confusion  of  his  enemies  and 
the  crowds.  His  comprehension  of  his  audiences  extended 
to  their  personality,  their  passions  and  their  needs. 

The  successors  of  Jesus  can  hope  only  to  imitate  not  to 
duplicate  his  insight  into  men.  Each  minister  should  seek 
to  know  as  intimately  as  possible  the  mental  and  spiritual 
condition  of  his  audiences  in  order  that  he  may  the  more 
intelligently  apply  the  truth.  An  audience  should  be  more 
than  a  mass  of  upturned  faces. 

The  preacher  must  adopt  a  different  method  from  that  of 
his  Master  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  needs  and  abilities 
of  his  people,  since  he  may  not  look  directly  into  the  pro¬ 
cesses  of  thought.  He  must  study  men  in  their  individual 
relations  as  he  mingles  with  them,  appreciating  their  ambi¬ 
tions,  sharing  their  sorrows,  and  increasing  their  joys.  The 
knowledge  of  human  nature  in  its  essentials  will  help  the 
preacher  to  speak  successfully  to  an  unknown  audience,  but 
the  best  work  will  be  done  as  he  may  be  able  to  individualize 
the  truth  to  men  and  women  to  whom  he  is  united  in  bonds 
of  love  and  sympathy. 

3.  FELLOWSHIP.— -Jesus  had  fellowship  with  the  social 


286 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


life  of  his  audiences,  entering  into  their  homes,  accepting 
their  hospitality,  and  worshipping  in  their  Temple  and 
synagogues.  Having  entered  into  human  life,  he  shared  its 
temptations,  felt  its  weariness,  conquered  its  weaknesses, 
passed  through  its  shadows,  and  enjoyed  its  delights,  making 
himself  the  recognized  friend  of  sinners.  The  preacher 
should  follow  the  example  of  his  Master.  People  do  not 
appreciate  being  preached  down  to;  they  prefer  the  common 
ground  of  brotherhood  and  friendship.  The  air  of  patronage 
arouses  antagonism.  Such  fellowship  must  be  real. 

4.  SERVICE  THROUGH  SACRIFICE.— The  Son  of  man 
came  not  to  be  served  but  to  serve,  and  to  give  his  life 
for  men.  He  reserved  to  himself  but  small  opportunity  for 
rest  and  quiet.  The  insistent  call  to  the  ministry  is  to  a 
similar  self-forgetfulness.  He  that  would  be  great  here  must 
become  the  servant  of  all.  Self-protection  may  be  the  first 
law  of  nature,  but  self-sacrifice  is  the  first  law  of  religion  and 
successful  homiletics.  The  service  through  sacrifice  must 
be  given.  Day  and  night  the  minister  must  be  subject  to 
the  call  for  his  service. 

III.  In  Relation  to  God 

1.  AUTHORITY. — God  stood  behind  the  preaching  of 
Jesus.  Men  were  startled  by  the  new  note  of  authority  in 
religion  as  Jesus  spoke  with  divine  accents.  The  later  min¬ 
istry  has  had  this  authority  delegated  to  it  in  virtue  of  the 
possession  of  the  truth.  The  preacher  can  but  hope  to  have 
a  partial  inspiration,  for  his  nature  and  environments  hinder 
a  complete  leadership.  But  God  delegates  to  his  messenger 
a  real  authority  as  he  speaks  the  truth.  The  preacher  pro¬ 
fesses  to  give  the  thoughts  of  God  as  these  have  passed 
through  his  own  personality  for  appreciation  and  for  applica¬ 
tion  to  men.  He  therefore  may  be  clothed  with  an  assurance 


THE  NORM-VALUE  OF  HIS  PREACHING 


287 


that  could  not  belong  to  him  simply  as  the  speaker  of  his 
own  discoveries.  Whether  for  reproof,  comfort,  or  guidance 
for  duties,  the  preacher  discloses  the  message  from  above  if 
he  fulfils  his  calling.  He  is  God’s  representative.  “Thus 
saith  the  Lord”  "was  the  seal  of  ancient  seer  and  should  not 
be  less  the  essential  for  the  ministry  of  to-day. 

2.  POSITIVE  PREACHING —The  relation  of  Jesus  to 
God  brought  him  a  positive  message.  Mists  of  doubt, 
fingering  for  the  truth  in  the  dark,  uncertainties  and  ques¬ 
tionings  about  favor  and  the  future  were  not  a  part  of  Jesus’ 
ministry.  The  norm-value  of  his  preaching  is  here  imperative 
upon  the  present  ministry.  Men  are  to  be  reached  and  saved 
through  the  positive  preaching  of  a  virile  message.  Modern 
thought  has  written  the  interrogatory  over  many  cherished 
beliefs  and  has  sent  many  honest  souls  into  frenzy  and  de¬ 
spair,  but  the  demand  now  is  for  positive  preaching.  Men 
will  yet  listen  to  the  preacher  with  a  strong  message.  Certain 
truths  have  reached  finality  in  basis  and  statement.  The 
Bible  contains  the  material  for  a  positive  preaching,  in  which 
assumptions  must  be  displaced  by  revelations,  guesses  by 
definite  knowledge. 

3.  LEADERSHIP  OF  THE  SPIRIT.— The  Holy  Spirit 
was  with  Jesus  in  fulness  of  power  and  leadership.  Jesus 
promised  that  he  would  commission  the  Spirit  to  guide  his 
followers  into  all  the  truth.  Those  who  claim  this  promise 
do  not  assert  their  personal  holiness  but  their  submission  to 
the  Spirit  for  truth  and  conduct.  The  preacher  can  feel 
assured  that  the  word  of  God  will  accomplish  its  end  when 
he  can  acknowledge  and  realize  the  personal  leadership 
of  the  Spirit.  He  needs  such  help,  for  the  roads  of  duty 
will  fork,  the  clouds  of  disappointment  will  low’er,  the 
rough  paths  will  lengthen,  trusted  friends  will  forsake,  and 
false  prosperity  will  deceive.  Surely  the  messenger  of  God, 


288 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


author  and  revealer  of  truth,  may  claim  that  God  is  with 
him. 

4.  GETHSEMANE. — Jesus  had  his  Gethsemane.  The 
preacher  must  have  his.  The  cup  of  suffering  and  sacrifice 
must  be  a  double  portion;  servant  and  Master  must  drink 
together.  Out  of  the  experience  to  Jesus  came  the  victory. 
“Not  mine  but  thine.”  So  will  the  preacher  reach  his  soul’s 
supreme  moment  when  he  can  have  this  victory.  He  must 
enter  the  shade  of  the  olive-trees  and  return  without  the  blush 
of  shame  and  defeat. 

IV.  The  Inimitable  Preacher 

Jesus  will  forever  remain  the  Peerless  Preacher.  Many 
of  his  traits  of  grace  and  power  may  be  reproduced  by  the 
preacher.  But  he  will  not  lose  his  grandeur.  He  abides  in 
his  lonely  greatness,  unapproached  and  inimitable.  His 
preaching  reveals  to  us  the  Son  of  God  and  Son  of  man, 
sympathetic  toward  men,  original  and  self-sacrificing.  He 
brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  and  showed  men  how 
to  tell  the  story  of  his  own  Cross.  We  may  sit  at  his  feet  and 
study  the  way  to  reach  the  hearts  of  sinners.  While  we 
linger  with  him  our  hearts  will  burn  within  us  and  we  shall 
be  transformed  into  his  own  likeness.  The  Christian  pulpit 
has  not  produced  his  equal  in  the  art  of  giving  the  truth  to 
men  through  oral  discourse.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  abides 
without  a  rival  the  World’s  Master  Preacher. 


APPENDIX 


TIIK  DISCOURSE  MATE  RIM 


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29-1 


APPENDIX 


2.  FRAGMENTARY  SAYINGS 


I.  From  Passover  27  a.  d.  to  December  27  a.  d. 


No. 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

John 

1 

3:15 

2 

4:4,  7,  10 

4:4,  8,  12 

3 

1:38,  39,  42 

4 

1:47,  48,  50,  51 

5 

2:4,  7,  8 

6 

2:16,  19 

7 

1:15 

II.  From  December  27  a.  d.  to  Early  Summer  28  a.  d. 


8 

9 

4:19 

1:17 

5:4,  10 

10 

1:25 

4:35 

11 

1:38 

4:43 

12 

9:2,  4-6 

2:5,  8-11 

5:20,  22-24 

13 

9:12,  13 

2:14,  17 

5:31,  32 

14 

12:11-13 

3:3-5 

6:8-10 

III.  From  Early  Summer  28  a.  d.  to  Passover  29  a.  d. 


15 

8:7,  10-13 

7:9 

16 

7:13,  14 

17 

12:48-50 

3:33-35 

8:21 

18 

8:26 

4:35,  39,  40 

8:22,  25 

19 

8:32 

5:8,9 

8:30,  39 

20 

9:22,  24 

5:29,  34,  36,  39,  41 

8:45,  46,  48,  50, 

52,  54 

21 

9:28,  29,  30 

22 

13:57 

23 

14:16,  18 

6:31,37,  38 

9:13,  14 

24 

14:27,  31 

6:50 

IV.  From  Passover  29  a.  d.  to  Autumn  29  a.  d. 


25 

15:24,  26,  28 

7:27,  29 

26 

7:34 

27 

15:32,  34 

8:2,  3,  5 

28 

8:26 

29 

17:17,  20 

9:16,  19,  21,  23,  25, 

9:41 

29 

30 

17:25-27 

APPENDIX 


295 


2.  FRAGMENTARY  SAYINGS  ( Continued ) 


V.  From 

Autumn  29  a.  d.  to  Spring  30  a. 

D. 

No. 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

J  hn 

31 

10:41,  42 

32 

9:3-6,  35,  37, 

39,  41 

33 

11:4,  7,  9-11, 

14,  15 

34 

11:23,  25,  26, 

34,  39,  41-44 

35 

19:14 

10:14,  15 

18:16,  17 

36 

20:18,  19 

10:33,  34 

18:31-33 

37 

20:21-23,  25-28 

10:36,  38-40,  42-45 

38 

20:32 

10:49,  51,  52 

18:41,  42 

39 

19:5,  9,  10 

VI.  During  Passover  30  a.  d. 


40 

21:2,  3 

11:2,  3 

19:30,  31,  40, 

42 — 14 

41 

21:19 

11:14 

42 

21:13,  16 

11:17 

19:46 

43 

21:21,  22 

11:22-25 

44 

12:43,  44 

21:3,  4 

45 

24:2 

21:6,  8,  9 

46 

26:2 

47 

26:10-13 

14:6-9 

12:7,  8 

48 

26:36,  38-42,  45, 

14:32,  34,  36-38, 

22:40,  42,  46 

46 

41,  42 

49 

26:50,  52-55 

14:48,  49 

22:48,  51-53 

11:5,  7,  8 

50 

18:20,  21,  23 

51 

23:3 

18:34,  36,  37 

52 

27:46 

15:34 

23:28-31,  34, 

19:26,  27,  28,  30 

43,  46 

296 


APPENDIX 


II.  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  QUOTATIONS 

1.  DIRECT  QUOTATIONS 

'  ) 

I.  From  Passover  27  a.  d.  to  December  27  a.  d. 


No. 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

John 

Passage  Quoted 

1 

4:4 

4:4 

Deut.  8:3 

2 

4:7 

4:12 

Deut.  6:16 

3 

4:10 

4:8 

Deut.  6:13 

II.  From  December  27  a.  d.  to  Early  Summer  28  a.  d. 


4 

4:18,  19 

Is.  61:1,  2 

5 

9:13 

Hos.  6:6 

6 

12:7 

Hos.  6:6 

III.  From  Early 

Summer 

28  a 

d.  to  Passover  29  a.  d. 

7 

5:21 

Ex.  20:13;  Deut.  5:17 

8 

5:27 

Ex.  20:14;  Deut.  5:18 

9 

5:31 

Deut.  24:1 

10 

5:33 

Lev.  19:12;  Numb.  30:2;  Deut. 

23:21 

11 

5:38 

Ex.  21:24;  Lev.  24:20;  Deut.  19:21 

12 

5:43 

Deut.  23:6;  25:19 

13 

5:43 

Lev.  19:18 

14 

11:10 

7:27 

Mai.  3:1 

15 

13:14,  15 

Is.  6:9,  10 

16 

• 

6:45 

Is.  54:13 

17 

15:4 

7:10 

Ex.  20:12;  Deut.  5:16 

18 

15:4 

7:10 

Ex.  21:17;  Deut.  20:9 

19 

15:8,  9 

7:6,  7 

Is.  29:13 

IV.  From  Passover  29  a.  d.  to  Autumn  29  a.  d. 
V.  From  Autumn  29  a.  d.  to  Spring  30  a.  d. 


20 

10:34 

Ps.  82:6 

21 

19:4 

10:6 

Gen.  1:27 

22 

19:5 

10:7,  8 

Gen.  2:24 

23 

19:18,  19 

10:19 

18:20 

Ex.  20:12-16;  Deut.  5:16-20 

APPENDIX 


297 


1.  DIRECT  QUOTATIONS  ( Continued ) 
VI.  During  Passover  30  a.  d. 


No. 

1 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

John 

1 

Passage  Quoted 

24 

21:13 

11:17 

19:46 

Is.  56:7;  oer.  7:11 

25 

21:16 

Ps.  8:2 

26 

21:42 

12:10,  11 

20:17 

Ps.  118:22,  23 

27 

22:32 

12:26 

20:37 

Ex.  3:6 

28 

22:37 

12:29,  30 

Deut.  6:4,  5 

29 

22:39 

12:31 

Lev.  19:18 

30 

22:44 

12:36 

20:42,  43 

Ps.  110:1 

31 

13:18 

Ps.  41:9 

32 

26:31 

14:27 

Zech.  13:7 

33 

22:37 

1 

Is.  53:12 

34 

15:25 

Ps.  35:19;  69:4 

208 


APPENDIX 


2.  ALLUSIONS  TO  EVENTS 


1 

Jn. 

3:14 

Numb.  21 :9 

2 

Lk. 

4:26 

1  Kings  17:9 

3 

Lk. 

4:27 

2  Kings  5:1,  14 

4 

Mt. 

8:4 

Mk. 

1:44 

Lev.  14:3,  4 

Lk. 

5:14 

5 

Mt. 

12:3,  4 

Mk. 

2:25,  26 

1  Sam.  21:6 

Lk. 

6:3,  4 

6 

Mt. 

12:5 

Numb.  28:9,  10 

7 

Mt. 

11:23 

Gen.  19:24 

8 

Mt. 

12:39,  40 

Jonah  1:17 

9 

Mt. 

12:41 

Jonah  3:5-10 

10 

Mt. 

12:42 

1  Kings  10:1-3 

2  Chron.  9:1-8 

11 

Mt. 

17:11 

Mai.  4:5,  6 

Mk. 

9:12 

12 

Jn. 

7:22,  23 

Lev.  12:3 

13 

Lk. 

11:30 

Jonah  3:4 

14 

Lk. 

11:31 

1  Kings  10:1-3 

2  Chron.  9:1-8 

15 

Lk. 

11:32 

Jonah  3:5-10 

16 

Lk. 

11:51 

Gen.  4:8 

17 

Lk. 

11:51 

2  Chron.  24:20 

18 

Ik. 

17:14 

Lev.  13:49 

19 

Lk. 

17:26,  27 

Gen.  7:7 

20 

Lk. 

17:28,  29 

Gen.  19:24 

21 

Lk. 

17:32 

Gen.  19:26 

22 

Mt. 

22:31,  32 

Mk. 

12:26 

Ex.  3:6 

Lk. 

20:37 

23 

Mt. 

24:38,  39 

Gen.  7:7 

The  Brazen  Serpent 

Elijah  and  the  Widow  of  Sarepta 

Elijah  and  Naaman 

Law  for  Cleansed  Lepers 

David  and  the  Showbread 

Priests  Profaning  the  Temple 

Sodom  Destroyed 

Jonah  and  the  Fish 

Repentance  of  Nineveh 

Visit  of  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon 

The  Coming  of  Elijah 

Circumcision  Given  Through  Moses 
Jonah  a  Sign 

Visit  of  Queen  of  Sheba  to  Solomon 

Repentance  of  Nineveh 
The  Blood  of  Abel 
The  Blood  of  Zechariah 
Law  for  Cleansed  Lepers 
Noah’s  Generation 
Sodom  Destroyed 
Lot’s  Wife 

Moses  and  the  Burning  Bush 
The  Deluge  and  Noah’s  Generation 


APPENDIX 


290 


III.  THE  PARABLES 


III,  From  Early  Summer  28  a.  d.  to  Passover  29  a.  d. 


No. 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

Name 

Place 

K 

E 

1 

13:3-9 

4:1-9 

8:5-8 

The  Sower 

Galilee 

* 

18-23 

13-20 

11-15 

2 

13:24-30 

The  Tares 

Galilee 

* 

3G-43 

3 

4:26-29 

The  Seed  Growing 

Galilee 

* 

4 

13:31,  32 

4:30-32 

The  Mustard  Seed 

Galilee 

* 

5 

13:33 

The  Leaven 

Galilee 

* 

C 

13:44 

The  Hid  Treasure 

Capernaum 

* 

7 

13:45,  4G 

The  Goodly  Pearl 

Capernaum 

* 

8 

13:47-50 

The  Net 

Capernaum 

* 

IV.  From  Passover  29  a.  d.  to  Autumn  29  a.  d. 


9 

18:23-35 

V 

'.  From  i 

VUTUMN 

The  Unmerciful  Serv-  Capernaum 
ant  1 

29  a.  d.  to  Spring  30  a.  d. 

* 

10 

l 

10:25-37 

The  Good  Samaritan 

Judea 

* 

11 

11:5-13 

The  Midnight  Friend 

Judea 

* 

12 

12:16-21 

The  Rich  Fool 

Judea 

* 

13 

12:35-40 

The  Watchful  Serv- 

Judea 

* 

ants 

* 

14 

13:6-9 

The  Barren  Fig  Tree 

Judea 

* 

(4) 

13:18,  19 

The  Mustard  Seed 

Judea 

* 

(5) 

13:20,21 

rFhe  Leaven 

Judea 

* 

15 

14:7-11 

The  Chief  Seats 

Perea 

* 

16 

14:16-24 

The  Great  Supper 

Perea 

* 

17 

14:25-30 

The  Rash  Builder 

Perea 

* 

18 

14:31-35 

The  Rash  King 

Perea 

* 

19 

15:3-7 

l"he  Lost  Sheep 

Perea 

* 

20 

15:8-10 

The  Lost  Coin 

Perea 

* 

21 

15:11-32 

The  Lost  Son 

Perea 

* 

22 

16:1-13 

The  Unrighteous 

Perea 

* 

Steward 

23 

16:19-31 

The  Rich  Man  and 

Perea 

* 

Lazarus 

24 

17:7-10 

The  Unprofitable 

Perea 

* 

Servants 

25 

18:1-8 

The  Unrighteous 

Sam.  or  Gal. 

* 

Judge 

26 

18:9-14 

The  Pharisee  and 

Sam.  or  Gal. 

* 

Publican 

27 

20:1-16 

The  Laborers  in  the 

Perea 

* 

Vineyard 

28 

| 

19:11-27  The  Founds 

J  ericho 

* 

K — Kingdom  of  God;  E — Personal  Experience 


300 


APPENDIX 


III.  THE  PARABLES  (< Continued ) 
VI.  During  Passover  30  a.  d. 


No. 

Matthew 

Mark 

Luke 

Name 

Place 

K 

E 

29 

21:28-32 

The  Two  Sons 

J  erusalem 

* 

30 

21:33-44 

12:1-11 

20:9-18 

The  Wicked  Husband- 

Jerusalem 

* 

men 

31 

22:1-13 

The  Royal  Marriage 

J  erusalem 

* 

32 

24:32,  33 

13:28,  29 

21:29-31 

The  Fig  Tree  Leafing 

Mt.  Olivet 

* 

33 

25:1-13 

The  Ten  Virgins 

Mt.  Olivet 

* 

34 

25:14-30 

The  Ten  Talents 

Mt.  Olivet 

* 

K — Kingdom  of  God;  E — Personal  Experience 


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Sea  Galilee 

Capernaum 

Capernaum 

Capernaum 

Capernaum 

Jerusalem 

Capernaum 

Capernaum 

Near  Nain 

Capernaum 

Sea  Galilee 

Gadara 

Capernaum 

Open-air 

Open-air 

Synagogue 

1 louse 

Open-air 

House 

Open-air 

Synagogue 

U  U  Cm  Cm  U 

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Open-ai 

House 

Open-ai 

Open-ai 

Open-ai 

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Word 

Touch 

Touch 

Word 

Word 

Word 

Word 

T  ouch 

Word 

Word 

Touch 

Fever 

Demon 

Fever 

Leprosy 

Paralysis 

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Paralysis 

fER  29  A.  D 

Palsy 

Death 

Demon 

Demon 

Blood  Issue 

jPoy 

Man 

Woman 

Man 

Man 

Man 

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>  Pajssoi 

Man 

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Man 

Men 

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l*  ******  ^ 

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Q 

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Nobleman’s  Son 
Draught  of  Fish 
Demoniac 

Peter’s  Mother-in-law 
Leper 

Paralytic 

Impotent  Man 

Man  With  Withered 
Hand 

>m  Early  Summer  28 

Centurion’s  Servant 

Son  of  Widow  of  Nain 
Blind-dumb  Demoniac 
Stilling  the  Storm 

Two  Demoniacs 
Woman  With  Issue  of 
Blood 

4:46-54 

5:2-18 

HI.  Frc 

N  Ci  O  3 

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8:23-37 
8:28-34 
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©*C©h?4OC0I>XC5 

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301 


Nature;  H — Healing 


IV.  THE  MIRACLES  ( Continued ) 


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BIBLIOGRAPHY 


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Alexander,  W.  M.  Demonic  Possession  in  the  New  Testament.  Edin¬ 
burgh,  1899. 

Anthony,  A.  W.  The  Method  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1901. 

Bacon,  B.  W.  Introduction  to  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  1900. 

Bernard,  T.  D.  The  Progress  of  Doctrine  in  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y., 
1870,  1908. 

Bible.  The  American  Standard  Revised  Bible.  N.  Y.,  1901. 

Blaikie,  W.  G.  The  Public  Ministry  and  Pastoral  Methods  of  Our  Lord. 
London,  1883. 

Briggs,  C.  A.  The  Messiah  of  the  Gospels.  N.  Y.,  1894. 

—  New  Light  on  the  Life  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1904. 

Broadus,  J.  A.  The  History  of  Preaching.  N.  Y.,  1876. 

—  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  of  Matthew.  Philadelphia,  1887. 

—  A  Harmony  of  the  Gospels.  3d  ed.,  N.  Y.,  1894. 

Brooks,  Phillips.  The  Influence  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1894. 

Bruce,  A.  B.  The  Parabolic  Teaching  of  Christ.  3d  ed.,  N.  Y.,  1902. 

—  The  Kingdom  of  God.  N.  Y.,  1889. 

—  The  Training  of  the  Twelve.  4th  ed.,  N.  Y.,  1894. 

Burton,  E.  D.  The  Personal  Religion  of  Jesus.  Biblical  World,  Dec., 
1899. 

Burton,  E.  D.,  and  Mathews,  Skailer.  The  Life  of  Christ.  3d  ed., 
Chicago,  1901. 

Cheyne,  T.  K.,  and  Black,  J.  S.  Encyclopaedia  Biblica.  4  vols.,  N.  Y., 
1899-1903, 

Clarke,  W.  N.  Can  I  Believe  in  God  the  Father?  N.  Y.,  1899. 

—  The  Christian  Doctrine  of  God.  N.  Y.,  1909. 

Clark,  H.  M.  The  Philosophy  of  Christian  Experience.  N.  Y.,  1907. 

Cone,  Orello.  Rich  and  Poor  in  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  1902. 

Dargan,  E.  C.  A  History  of  Preaching.  Vol.  I.,  N.  Y.,  1905. 

—  Articles,  “Discourses,”  “Ministry  of  Jesus,”  in  Dictionary  of  Christ  and 
the  Gospels. 

Denio,  F.  B.  The  Supreme  Leader.  Chicago,  1900. 

Edersheim,  Alfred.  The  Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah.  2  vols., 
8th  ed.,  N.  Y.,  1904. 


304 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


305 


Foster,  F.  H.  The  New  Testament  Miracles:  An  Investigation  of  their 
Function.  American  Journal  of  Theology ,  July,  1908. 

Fraser,  Donald.  Metaphors  in  the  Gospels.  N.  Y.,  1885. 

Gilbert,  G.  H.  The  Personal  Religion  of  Jesus.  Biblical  World ,  Dec., 
1899. 

Gould,  E.  P.  The  Biblical  Theology  of  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  1900. 

—  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  According  to  St. 
Mark.  N.  Y.,  1896. 

Greenough,  J.  G.  The  Apostles  of  our  Lord.  N.  Y.,  1904. 

Harnack,  Adolf.  The  Sayings  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1908. 

Hastings,  James,  and  Selbie,  J.  A.  A  Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the 
Gospels.  N.  Y.,  Vol.  I.,  1906;  Vol.  II.,  1908. 

Hatch,  E.  The  Influence  of  Greek  Ideas  and  Usages  Upon  the  Christian 
Church.  London,  1892. 

Hitchcock,  A.  W.  The  Psychology  of  Jesus.  Chicago,  1908. 

James,  William.  The  Varieties  of  Religious  Experience.  N.  Y.,  1902. 

Jefferson,  C.  E.  The  Character  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1908. 

Johnson,  Franklin.  The  Quotations  of  the  New  Testament  from  the 
Old.  Philadelphia,  1896. 

Johnson,  E.  H.  The  Religious  Use  of  the  Imagination.  Philadelphia, 
1901. 

Knapp,  Shepherd.  Traces  of  Humor  in  the  Sayings  of  Jesus.  Biblical 
World ,  March,  1907. 

MacComb,  Samuel.  The  Irony  of  Jesus.  Biblical  World ,  Feb.,  1904, 

McConnell,  S.  D.  Christ.  N.  Y.,  1904. 

Mathews,  Shailer.  On  the  Interpretation  of  Parables.  American 
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—  The  Social  Teachings  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1897. 

—  The  Messianic  Hope  of  the  New  Testament.  Chicago,  1905. 

—  The  History  of  New  Testament  Times  in  Palestine.  N.  Y.,  1899. 

Noble,  F.  A.  Typical  New  Testament  Conversions.  N.  Y.,  1901. 

Orr,  James.  The  Virgin  Birth.  N.  Y.,  1907. 

Pattison,  T.  H.  The  History  of  Christian  Preaching.  Philadelphia,  1903. 

Plummer,  Alfred.  Critical  and  Exegetical  Commentary  on  the  Gospel 
According  to  St.  Luke.  N.  Y.,  1896. 

Pollard,  E.  B.  ^Esthetic  and  Imaginative  Elements  in  the  WTords  of  Jesus. 
Biblical  World,  Nov.,  1907. 

Ramsay,  W.  M.  The  Education  of  Christ.  N.  Y.,  1902. 

Rhees,  Rush.  Christ  in  Art.  Biblical  World,  Dec.,  1895. 

—  The  Life  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  N.  Y.,  1904. 

Robertson,  A.  T.  Epochs  in  the  Life  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1907. 

—  Key  Words  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus.  Philadelphia,  1906. 

—  The  Teaching  of  Jesus  Concerning  God  the  Father.  N.  Y.,  1904. 

20 


306 


THE  MASTER  PREACHER 


Ross,  G.  A.  Johnston.  The  Universality  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1906. 
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Tr.  by  L.  S.  Houghton.  N.  Y.,  1905. 

Savage,  M.  J.  Out  of  Nazareth.  1903. 

Schrenck,  Erich  von.  Jesus  und  seine  Predigt.  Goettingin,  1902. 
Stalker,  James.  Imago  Christi.  N.  Y.,  1892. 

—  The  Christology  of  Christ.  N.  Y.,  1889. 

Starbuck,  E.  D.  The  Psychology  of  Religion.  N.  Y.,  1899. 

Stevens,  G.  B.  The  Theology  of  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  1899. 

—  The  Teaching  of  Jesus.  N.  Y.,  1901. 

—  The  Christian  Doctrine  of  Salvation.  N.  Y.,  1905. 

Stevens,  W.  A.  The  Ministry  of  Christ.  Biblical  World,  Dec.,  1895. 
Stevens,  W.  A.,  and  Burton,  E.  D.  A  Harmony  of  the  Gospels.  6th  ed., 
Revised.  N.  Y.,  1906. 

Toy,  C.  H.  Quotations  in  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  1884. 

Trench,  R.  C.  Notes  on  the  Miracles  of  Our  Lord.  N.  Y.,  1887. 

—  Synonyms  of  the  New  Testament.  N.  Y.,  Vol.  I,  1871;  Vol.  II,  1872. 
Votaw,  C.  W.  The  Chronology  of  Jesus’  Public  Ministry.  Biblical 

World,  Dec.,  1905. 

Walker,  W.  L.  The  Spirit  and  the  Incarnation.  Edinburgh,  2d  ed.,  1901. 
Westcott,  B.  F.  An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Gospels.  London, 
8th  ed.,  1895. 

—  Commentary  on  the  Gospel  of  St.  John.  N.  Y.,  1890. 

Westcott,  B.  F.,  and  Hort,  F.  J.  A.  The  New  Testament  in  Greek. 
Vol.  I.  The  Text,  1881.  Vol.  II.  Introduction,  1882,  N.  Y.  Many  Re¬ 
prints. 

Zenos,  A.  C.  The  Birth  and  Childhood  of  Jesus.  Biblical  World ,  Dec., 
1895. 


INDEX 


I.  THE  TEXTS  OF  SCRIPTURE 


Mt. 


«« 


1:  18  ... . 
3:  11  ... . 

4:  1 . 

4:  23  ...  . 
4:  23||  ... 
4:  24  ...  . 
4:  24,  25  . 
5: 20  .  . 

5:  21,  22.. 
5:  27,  28.. 
5: 38-42  . 
6:  9-13  .  . 
7:  1-5  ..  . 
7:  7-12  .  . 
7:  28  ...  . 

8:  1 . 

8:  10  ...  . 
8:  22  .  . 

8: 26  .  . 

9:  3 
9:  6 

9:  30 j |  . . . 
9:  34  .  . 

9:  35||  .  .  . 
9: 36  .  . 
10:  39  .  . 

11:  5 . 

11: 17  .  . 

11:  25,  26.. 

11:  28 . 

12:  1-8||  .  . 
12:  20  .  . 

12:  28  .  . 

12:  28-45  . 
12:  32  .  . 

12:  39  .  . 

12:  49  .  . 

12:  50  .  . 

13:  11-13  . 
14: 14  ... . 
14:23||  ... 
15:  24  .  . 

16:  1-4||  .  . 
16:  16  .  . 
16: 18,  19. 
16:  18,  25.. 
16:  21  |  . . . 
16:  23.  .  . . 
17:  22,  23||, 
17:  27  ... . 
18: 27  ... . 
19:  24  ...  . 
20:  18,  19 1 J 
21:  2,  3  .  . , 
21:  12-17H 


PAGE 
. . . .  222 
.  .  .  .  223 
.  . . .  224 
.  .  .  .  13 

.  .  .  .  33 

. . . .  274 
. . . .  274 
.  .  .  .  59 

.  .  .  .  88 
. . . .  88 
.  .  .  .  88 
. . . .  165 
. . . .  247 
. . . .  171 
. . . .  274 
. . . .  274 
. . . .  157 
....  81 
. . .  .  181 
. . . .  127 
. . . .  131 
. . . .  157 
. . . .  127 
.  .  .  .  33 

.  . . .  175 
. . . .  81 
.81,  114 
. . . .  247 
. . . .  166 
101,  230 
. . . .  129 
. . . .  174 
.  .  .  .  225 
. . . .  106 
. . . .  225 
. . .  .  112 
.  .  .  .  141 
.  .  . .  55 

. . . .  100 
. . . .  175 
. . . .  166 

_ ■  44 

.  .  .  .  106 
. . . .  270 
. ...  198 
.  .  .  .  81 
.  .  .  .  22 
157,  180 
. . . .  22 
.  .  .  .  22 
. . . .  175 
.  .  . .  81 
.  .  . .  22 
. .  . .  22 
. . . .  157 


Mt. 


M 


Lk. 


22:  21  . . 

PAGE 

.  247 

23: 11  . 

.  198 

23:  24  . 

.  247 

23:  37,  38 . 

. .  79 

26:  37  . 

.  155 

26:  37|1  . 

26:  38  . 

. . .  155 

26: 55  . 

.  30 

27:46||  . 

.  168 

28: 19,  20 . 

.  231 

1:  12 . 

.  224 

1 :  22 . 

.  203 

1:  35 . 

. .  .  165 

1:  41 . 

.  175 

2:  10,  11 . 

.  113 

2:  16 . 

. 228 

2:  17 . 

.  228 

3:  5 . 

. 142,  157 

3:  34 . 

.  142 

4: 26-29  . 

.  22 

5:  30 . 

.  206 

5:  34 . 

.  175 

6:  6 . 

.  157 

6:  41 . 

.  142 

7:  34.  ......  . 

. 142,  155 

8:  12 . 

8:  33 . 

.  142 

10: 14  . 

.  157 

10: 21 . 

. 142,  154,  225 

10:  22 . 

.  207 

10:  27 . 

.  142 

10:  46 . 

.  274 

13:  32 . 

.  152 

14:  13 . 

.  22 

14:  33 . 

.  158 

14:  35 . 

.  139 

14:  61,  62 . 

.  270 

1:  35 . 

.  222 

1: 46-55  .... 

.  26 

2:  14 . 

.  17 

2:  52 . 

.  145 

4:1 . 

.  224 

4:  14 . 

.  224 

4:  15 . 

.  33 

4:16 . . 

. 88,  172 

4:  30 . 

.  202 

4:42 . 

.  274 

5:  4 . 

.  22 

5: 16-26  .... 

.  163 

5:  29 . 

.  274 

6:  12 . 

.  164 

6:  20 . 

.  142 

8:  25 . 

.  203 

8:  39 . 

.  107 

9:  18-27  .... 

.  164 

307 


308 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Lk.  9:28,29 .  165 

“  10:  21 .  156 

“  11:  1 .  165 

“  11:2-4 .  165 

'*  11:37-41  .  248 

“  11:1 .  274 

“  13:  32 .  216 

“  14:  12-23 .  248 

“  14:26 .  81 

“  15:  2 .  126 

“  18:  19 .  231 

“  19:  10 .  238 

“  19:47,48 .  30 

“  19:  41 .  156 

“  20:  17 .  142 

“  21:12 .  22 

“  21:37 .  30 

“  22:  32  .  167 

“  22:42 . 53,  161 

“  22:  42  .  168 

“  22:  44  .  155 

“  22:  61 .  142 

“  23:  8-12 .  102 

“  23:  34  .  167 

“  24:  21 .  124 

“  24:25  .  56 

Jn.  1:  1,  14 .  144 

“  1:11 .  44 

“  1:  23  .  281 

“  1:29 .  121 

“  1:33  .  223 

“  1:46 .  27 

“  1:  51 .  210 

“  2:11 . 45,  113 

“  2:13 . 106,  157 

“  2:  19 .  130 

“  2:23 .  113 

“  2:  24,  25 .  151 

“  3:3-8 .  198 

“  3:  10 .  240 

“  3:  34  .  224 

“  4:  18 .  240 

“  4:  21 .  232 

“  4:  21-24 .  198 

“  4:24 .  172 

“  4:48 .  112 

“  5:14 . 115,  238 

“  5:18 . 127,  271 

“  6:22-57  .  106 


II.  THE 


Abel .  90 

Abraham . 118,  119,  120,  132 

Accessibility,  The  magnetic  power  of: 

Jesus  not  a  hermit .  214 

Accommodation  to  current  ideas.  .85,  194 
Adaptation,  Power  of:  to  oppor-  ’ 
tunity,  217;  to  supreme  needs,  218; 

to  variety  of  characters .  219 

Adultery . 88,  141,  195 

.Enon .  224 

Aggressive  Polemics . 124-129 

Agriculture:  illustrations  about,  73; 

parables  of .  95 

Ailments  healed .  109 

Aim  behind  occasions. . . ,,,,,,  54 


Jn. 

7:  12 . 

PAGE 

. 125,  274 

7:  15 . 

. 26,  150 

4  4 

7:  20 . 

7:  30 . 

1 4 

7:  46 . 

.  140 

44 

8:  8 . 

4 t 

8:  28 . 

H 

8:  42,  44 . 

1 1 

8:  46 . 

4  4 

8:  48 . 

4  4 

10:  21,  22 . 

4  4 

10:  33 . 

4  4 

10:  37,  38 . 

.  114 

44 

11:  15 . 

4  4 

11: 33  . 

44 

11:  33,  38 . 

.  157 

44 

11:  35 . 

44 

11: 41 . 

. 142,  166 

4  4 

11: 48  . 

4  4 

12:  9 . 

.  275 

4  4 

12:  27 . 

4  4 

12:  37 .  .  .  _ _ 

.  113 

4  4 

14:  1 . 

.  181 

4  4 

14:  9 . 

.  60 

4  4 

14:  21 . 

4  4 

14:  23 . 

.  198 

4  4 

14:  24 . 

. 48,  62,  280 

44 

14:  26 . 

. 56,  198 

44 

15:  9 . 

.  153 

4  4 

15: 11  . 

.  156 

44 

15:  13 . 

. 63,  153 

44 

16:  12,  13 . 

.  269 

44 

17 . 

.  167 

44 

17:  1 . 

.  142 

44 

17:  8 . 

.  210 

44 

17:  7,  8 . 

.  282 

44 

17: 13  . 

.  156 

44 

18:  20 . 

.  33 

4  4 

20:  30 . 

.  105 

44 

21:  25 . 

.  65 

Gen. 

3:  15 . 

.  121 

Neh. 

8:  8 . 

.  25 

Is. 

42:  3 . 

.  174 

4  4 

53:  2 . 

.  138 

44 

53:  3 . . 

.  154 

Acts 

17:  27 . 

.  59 

4  4 

1:8... . . 

.  230 

I  Cor. 

4:  1,  2 . 

.  283 

SUBJECTS 

All  sorts  and  conditions  approached: 
a  varied  personnel,  235;  Synoptic 
record,  235;  Johannine  record,  236; 


combined  narrative .  236 

Allusions  to  O.  T.  events . 90,  298 

Almsgiving .  60 

Altruism  of  miracles . Ill,  112 

Amazed  Jesus,  The .  157 

Amazement  aroused .  51 

Ambition,  His  simple .  190 

Ambrose .  138 

Amos .  23 

Amusements  of  Rome .  18 


Analogy  of  natural  and  spiritual ...  99 

Ancestry,  His  preparation  from ....  26 


INDEX 


309 


PAGE 

Anger .  51 

Angry  Jesus,  The:  toward  Pharisees, 

157;  toward  disciples,  157;  about 
miracles,  157;  at  Lazarus’  grave, 

157;  for  judgments.  .  .. . 157 

Anticipative  interpretation .  87 

Antipathy  of  audience . 36-38 

Apathy  of  audience . 35,  36 

Apocryphal  stories .  26 

Apostolate . 101,  164,  217,  276 

Apostolic  history  and  truth .  56 

Apostrophe . 79,  258 

Appearance  of  Jesus:  dress,  135; 

likeness .  137 

Appendix . 289-304 

Approachableness,  His .  242 

Aramaic:  spoken  by  Jews,  25,  26; 
paraphrase  reading,  25;  spoken  by 

Jesus . 21,  26,  188,  231 

Archasology .  15 

Argument:  ad  hominem,  117;  in  dis¬ 
courses  with  miracles,  117;  and 

polemics .  135 

Armitage .  11 

Artistic  types  of  His  portrait .  137 

Ascension,  The .  253 

Associations  and  Polemics:  The 
charges  made,  126,  243;  leaders 
felt  slighted,  126;  the  serenity  of 

Jesus .  126 

Assyria .  15 

Athens,  center  of  oratory .  20 

Attention,  securing,  40;  fixed  by 

parables.  .' .  99 

Attitude,  His:  toward  life  in  parables, 

103;  toward  nationalism,  119; 
toward  current  methods  of  inter¬ 
pretation,  86;  toward  traditional¬ 
ism,  86;  toward  literalism,  87; 
originality  and  spirituality  in ...  .  90 

Attitude,  Gentleness  of  His .  177 

Attitude,  homiletical:  posture,  139; 

movements.  .  . .  139 

Attraction  of  crowds .  273 

Audience  in  His  preaching,  The  ef¬ 
fect  of  His . 29-42 

Augustine .  138 

Authority  of  His  preaching,  The  201-213 
Authority:  of  Rome,  17;  of  Jehovah 
for  prophets,  85;  and  polemics,  129; 
his  equal  to  prophets’,  195;  related 
to  originality,  197;  norm-value  of  286 

Autonomy  of  the  will .  207 


Babylonia .  15 

Back  to  Christ .  279 

Ballad  of  the  Trees ,  The .  250 

Baptism:  Jesus’,  145,  163,  223;  of  the 

Holy  Spirit .  223 

Basil .  138 

Beard .  138 

Beauty  of  His  words .  188 

Beelzebub . 106,  117,  134,  225 

Beggars  in  Roman  wmrld .  17 

Benediction,  homiletical  movement  in  140 

Beneficiaries,  instruction  to,  107; 

classes .  110 

Bethany . 180,  255 

Bethesda . 115,  212 

Bethsaida . . . 37,  109 


PAGE 

Bibliography .  304 

Bibliolatry:  Historical  inception  of 
Scriptures,  120;  primary  purpose 
of  Scriptures,  120;  current  bibli¬ 
olatry,  212;  Jesus’  regard  for 


Scriptures .  121 

Birth  of  Jesus,  Power  of  H.  S.  in  the  222 
Blasphemy:  against  Holy  Spirit  34; 

and  polemics .  127 

Blindness . 109,  301 

Boyhood,  His .  26 

Bravery  in  denunciations . .  78 

Brazen  serpent,  The .  90 

Brethren,  His .  180 

Brevity  in  illustrations .  74 

Broad  Preacher,  The .  233 

Broadus,  John  A . 11,  77 

Brotherhood  in  character .  233 

Browning,  quoted . .  47 

Buff  on,  quoted .  135 

Burning  bush,  The .  90 

Busy  days,  prayer  after . 165,  166 


Caesar . 16,  36,  247 

Caesarea  Philippi . 146,  255,  270 

Calvary . 121,  163,  183,  259 

Calvary,  progress  of  approach  to..  271 

Campbell,  quoted .  163 

Cana . 45,  255 

Canon,  Old  Testament . 82,  92 

Capernaum:  24,  37.  165;  parables  at, 

96;  polemics  at .  133 

Carlyle,  quoted .  135 

Casual,  Use  of  the .  237 

Casuistry  of  rabbis .  61 

Censure . 116,  181,  185 

Central  idea,  Parables  grouped  by.  .  94 

Centurion  of  Capernaum .  228 

Ceremonialism . 45,  59,  203,  221 

Challenge  of  His  critics:  general  op¬ 
position,  204;  special  charges,  204; 

freshness  of  Jesus .  205 

Character:  Regarded,  228;  brother¬ 
hood  in,  233;  in  tone .  201 

Charity . 60 

Chief  words  of  His  themes:  Kingdom 
of  God,  56;  Son  of  Man,  57;  eternal 
life,  58;  sin  and  righteousness,  58; 

His  death  and  resurrection,  59; 

God  the  Father,  59;  minor  themes  60 
Chivalry,  Gentleness  of  His:  the 
Knight  of  the  lowly,  178;  the 
Knight  of  the  sinner,  179;  the 

Knight  of  womanhood .  179 

Choice,  Authority  limited  by  soul’s: 

Not  spiritual  despotism,  212;  the 

sovereign  soul .  213 

Christly  character  a  condition  of 

knowledge .  55 

Christo-centric  message . 63,  200 

Christology . 144,  151,  158,  198,  233 

Chronology  of  His  ministry .  67 

Chrysostom .  138 

Church,  The .  198 

Cities  evangelized .  262 

Civic  life  in  illustrations .  74 

Class  antipathy . ■.•••■. .  36 

Classes  of  beneficiaries  in  miracles.  .  110 
Classic  era  of  Greece  and  Rome.  ...  19 

Classification  of  miracles .  105 


310 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Classifi cation  of  parables:  definition, 

93;  interpretation,  94;  groups,  94; 
localization,  96;  parable  germs ....  97 

Cleansing  of  Temple .  157 

Clearness  and  simplicity .  184 

Clement  of  Alexandria .  138 

Cloak .  136 

Coercion .  160 

Colonies  of  Jews .  24 

Comforter,  The .  226 

Command,  Power  of .  160 

Commendation .  116 

Commercialism:  in  Roman  world,  18; 
in  illustrations,  74;  in  parables. .  .  95 

Commission,  The  great .  230 

Comparative  religions .  82 

Compassion . 147,  154 

Compassion,  His:  masterful  interest, 

174;  heart  of  sympathy,  175;  sym¬ 
pathy  through  temptation .  175 

Completeness  of  His  thought .  221 

Complex  and  single  accounts .  69 

Composite  quotations .  89 

Concreteness:  His  intellectual,  150; 
in  the  selection  of  parables,  102;  in 
illustrations,  75;  form  of  parables  97 

Condensation . 79 

Conduct . .  52 

Confession .  232 

Confidence  in  His  message .  185 

Confirmation  of  authority .  207 

Conflicts,  prayer  for  impending.  .  .  .  163 

Confucianism .  196 

Congregation:  nucleus  of,  24;  and 

simplicity .  188 

Conscience  untouched  by  Greek 

oratory . 20 

Consciousness,  His:  of  union  of 
human  and  divine,  143;  of  Mes¬ 
sianic  vocation .  144 

Consciousness,  power  of  His  Mes¬ 
sianic .  219 

Consciousness:  Preparation  from,  27; 

and  the  Holy  Spirit .  224 

Contact  in  His  preaching,  The  point 

of . 43-49 

Contact  Universal  of .  227 

Contact:  factor  of  magnetism,  214; 

training  from .  276 

Content  in  intellectual  contact.  . .  .48,  49 

Content,  Variety  of .  259 

Contingency  in  prayer .  169 

Convalescence  in  healings .  109 

Conversation,  Ministry  of .  235 

Cosmopolite,  Jesus  a .  227 

Country  evangelized .  262 

Courage,  202;  Power  of  deliverv  by 

His . . . .216,  217 

Created  specialties .  258 

Creator  of  a  new  community .  173 

Credential:  purpose  of  the  Gospels, 

65;  of  personality .  113 

Creed:  Related  to  worship  and  con¬ 
duct,  52;  of  Jesus.  49;  of  Christen¬ 
dom .  50 

Crisis  averted  by  parables .  99 

Criticism:  Types  of,  66;  biblical.  ...  66 

Critics,  His:  In  His  day,  204;  modern  194 

Cross,  The, 

59,  168.  176,  181,  253,  261,  273,  278 


PAGE 


Crowds,  260;  success  of,  273;  spon¬ 
taneous  testimony .  274 

Crown  The  thornless . 278 

Cyril  of  Alexandria .  138 

Crystal  soul,  The .  191 

Culture,  Jesus  the  child  of,  192; 

realized  Hebrew .  193 

Customs  and  originality . 193,  194 

Daniel .  23 

Dante . 84 

Dargan.  E.  C .  10 

David . 26,  90,  91,  132,  146 

1  HQ 

Death:  His, 242,' 271 ;  foretold, 22, 164; 
a  chief  word,  59;  restoration  from. .  109 

Decapolis .  255 

Declamatory  oration .  20 

Dedication,  The  Feast  of,  31,  44,  114,  128 

Deeds  of  compassion .  175 

Defect  of  Graeco-Roman  oratory. ...  19 

Defection  of  disciples .  39 

Defensive  polemics . 130-132 

Definiteness  in  prayer .  169 

Definition  of  parables:  Greek  and 
Hebrew  ideas,  93;  descriptive,  93; 

number  of  examples .  94 

Deities;  Their  creation,  24;  baneful 

results .  24 

Delivery  element  in  His  preaching, 


Delivery,  His .  40 

Delivery,  Power  of:  Voice,  216; 

Courage,  216;  Directness .  217 

Deluge,  The .  90 

Delusion  about  O.  T .  85 

Demeanor .  202 

Demoniacal  possession .  109 

Demosthenes .  20 

Desire  to  see  Jesus .  274 

Despotism,  spiritual .  212 


Denunciation:  Of  all  classes,  78; 

irony  and  humor  in,  78;  bravery.  .  78 

Denouement  of  strategy,  The;  the 
cross  the  ultimate  goal,  253;  a 
willing  captive,  253;  reasonable  end  253 


Dependents  and  defectives .  177 

Dependence  on  others,  His .  196 

Depth  of  His  thought . 221 

Desert  for  prayer.  The .  165 

Design  of  parables . 98-100 

Deuteronomy . 90,  132 

Diagram  of  Method  of  Progress.  .  .  .  265 
Didactic  purpose:  Of  parables,  101; 

variety  by .  257 

Direction  of  events .  55 

Directness,  Power  of .  217 

Disciples:  Their  sympathy,  39;  anger 
toward,  157;  The  Prayer,  165;  in¬ 
tercession  for,  167;  training,  269; 

manifestation  to .  270 

Diseipleship  and  authority .  207 

Discipleship,  Universal  of:  Jews  and 

Gentile,  229;  The  world-field .  230 

Discontent  toward  Him . .  .  .  128 

Discourse  material  of  His  preaching, 

The . 65-74 

Discourse  material,  Progress  in:  The 
course  indicated,  263;  the  course 
interpreted . 264 


INDEX 


311 


PAGE 

Discourse  material  in  parables .  98 

Discourse  purpose  of  parables .  .  100,  101 
Discourses  with  miracles:  apologetic, 

116;  comparative,  117;  argumenta¬ 
tive,  117;  interrogatory .  117 

Discourses:  The  Temple,  31;  syna¬ 
gogue,  33;  table  talks,  33;  reception 
hall,  34;  open-air,  35;  effects  of,  41; 
with  miracles,  116,  117;  according 
to  periods,  67 ;  in  parables .  .  98,  100,  101 
Discourses,  Listed . 291-293 

1.  Regeneration .  139 

2.  Worship  and  salvation.  .  .  .  139,  232 

3.  Sowing  and  harvest . 55,  73 

4.  Rejection . 33,  134,  139 

5.  Fasting .  34 

6.  Relation  to  His  Father.  .  .116,  134 

7.  Sabbath  observance .  134 

8.  Sermon  on  the  Mount 

49,  66,  72,  76,  139,  170,  268 

9.  John  and  suggested  topics ....  140 

10.  Forgiveness .  34 

1L  Blasphemy . 34,  116,  134 

12.  Signs . 34,  134 

13.  First  great  parable  group ....  139 

14.  Parables  explained  and  given  95 

15.  Mission  and  instruction  of  the 

Twelve . 39,  101,  269,  276 

16.  Bread  of  Life . .33,134 

17.  Traditions . 134 

18.  Church  Rock . 81,198,270 

19.  His  death  and  resurrection  157,  180 

20.  Humility  and  forgiveness ....  34 

21.  Discussion  at  feast . 31,  134 

22.  Light  and  liberty . 31,  134 

23.  Good  Shepherd .  183 

24.  Mission  of  Seventy . 225,  269 

25.  Eternal  life . 100,134 

26.  Prayer .  165 

27.  League  with  evil . 116,  134,  225 

28.  Woes  for  Pharisees .  134 

29.  Against  Pharisaism .  274 

30.  Repentance . 58,  113,  177,  212 

31.  Sabbath  observance. .  .33,  116,  134 

32.  Messiahship . 31,  134 

33.  Salvation  of  Elect . 44,  242 

34.  Modesty  in  feasts  34,  100,  116,  134 

35.  Cost  of  discipleship .  207 

36.  Parables  of  grace . 100,  134 

37.  Parables  of  warning . 100,  134 

38.  Forgiveness  and  faith .  53 

39.  Coming  kingdom . 39,  46 

40.  Prayer  of  Pharisee  and  publi¬ 

can . 169,  170 

41.  Divorce . 134 

42.  Reward  of  discipleship. .  .  .225,  233 

43.  Parable  of  the  pounds .  34 

44.  His  death  and  glory .  59 

45.  Belief  and  unbelief ..  .154,  177, 185 

46.  Authority  challenged .  .31,  100,  134 

47.  Three  Jewish  questions.  . .  .31,  134 

48.  The  unanswerable  question  31,134 

49.  Denunciation  of  Pharisees .  .31,  134 

50.  End  of  Jerusalem  and  world 

249,  270 

51.  Precedence  in  kingdom .  54 

52.  Humility . 57,  198 

53.  Memorial  Supper . 34,  141 

54.  Farewell  discourse  and  prayer 

66,  168,  282 


PAGE 

Disregard  of  authority .  207 

Divine:  consciousness,  143;  message, 

208;  Sonship .  211 

Divorce . .  .  195 

Doctrine:  Of  God,  49;  originality  in  197 

Double  questions .  77 

Drama:  The,  136:  miracle  natural.  .  .  250 
Dramatic:  Imagination,  149;  mo¬ 
ment,  149;  accessories  in  miracles.  251 
Dramadc  element  in  His  preaching, 

The  . . 245-253 

Dramatic  moment,  The:  the  sensi¬ 
tized  soul,  239;  two  examples .  246 

Dress  of  Jesus:  Homiletical  force  of, 

135;  body,  136;  head  and  feet .  136 

Dropsy .  109 

Dynamics:  spiritual,  214;  of  the  cross  278 

East,  The  far .  16 

Echoes  of  quotation .  91 

Economic  program .  218 

Education  of  the  Preacher . 26,  27 

Effect  of  His  audience . 29-42 

Effects  of  discourse .  41 

Effort  for  success,  The  Preacher’s. . .  273 

Egg,  The  silver .  80 

Egoism  and  originality,  homiletical.  200 

Egyptian .  15 

Elect  nation,  Contact  in  the .  24 

Elijah . 23,  90 

Elisha .  23 

Embassy:  from  John,  114;  of  Greeks  230 

Em  maus . 56,  124 

Emotion,  homiletical  movement  of .  .  142 
Emotional  contact:  Jesus’  arouse- 
ment  of  emotions,  51;  Jesus’  design 

in  arousing  emotions .  61 

Emotional  life,  H13:  basal  specimens, 

153;  inductions .  158 

Emotionalism . .. .- .  51 

Emotions,  Arousement  of:  amaze¬ 
ment,  51,  sorrow .  51 

Emotions,  Design  in  arousing:  He 
knew  their  value,  51;  right  con¬ 
duct,  51;  two  elements  of  value.  . .  51 

Emotions,  Specimens  of  basal:  the 
lover  of  men,  153;  the  Man  of  Sor¬ 
rows,  154;  the  joyful  Preacher, 

156;  the  angry  Jesus,  156;  the 

amazed  Jesus .  157 

Endowment  and  originality .  199 

Enemies,  His:  courage  toward,  216; 

self-manifestation  to . ..  270 

Enthusiasm . 41 

Environment  and  originality. .  192 

Epicureans .  19 

Epistemology .  151 

Equality  of  His  words:  With  O.  T., 

91 ;  with  the  Father’s .  210 

Essenes . 25,  196 

Esther .  84 

Eternal  life . . . 57,  58,  242 

Ethics  for  preacher  and  layman . 282 

Euphrates .  17 

Evangelistic  purpose:  Of  the  Gospels, 

65;  of  parables,  101;  variety  by .  .  .  256 
Evangelization.  .  .  .60,  164,  230,  262,  263 
Evidential  value  of  miracles:  spirit¬ 
ual,  112;  secondary,  113;  personal  113 

Excitement  not  acceptance .  36 


312 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Exegesis  of  0.  T . . . 88,  195 

Exile,  The .  23 

Exodus,  The . 90,  132 

Experience:  individual,  46;  themes 
limited  to  horizon  of,  61;  the  mes¬ 
sage  a  reflection  of,  63 ;  parables  of 

94,  98 

Experience  of  Jesus,  Power  of  H.  S. 

in  the . 223-225 

Experience,  The  parables  in  His  102,  103 

Experiential  contact:  individual  ex¬ 
perience,  46;  modem  psychology 

of  religion .  47 

Expository  preacher,  Jesus  not  an  88,  195 

Expression  of  message,  norm-value 
of:  Jesus  used  best  methods,  283; 

the  preacher’s  best  methods .  283 

Externals,  desire  for .  36 

Eye,  homiletical  movement  of  the. .  141 

Ezekiel .  23 

Ezra .  25 

Faithfulness  to  message,  norm- value 
of:  His  faithfulness,  282;  steward¬ 
ship  of  truth,  283;  finality  of  mes¬ 
sage .  283 

Fame,  beyond  Emits  of  ministry, 

274;  incidental  to  miracles .  107 

Farewell  prayer,  The .  62 

Fasting .  60 

Father,  God  the:  A  chief  theme,  59; 

fatherhood  . .  59 

Father,  The . 159,  198 

Favoritism  of  need,  Universal  of  227-229 
Fellowship:  with  sorrow,  154;  with 

audience .  286 

Fever .  109 

Finality :  of  contact,  48 ;  of  the  message  283 
Firmness,  gentleness  of:  The  unal¬ 
tered  purpose,  180;  the  selective 

grace .  181 

Fishery,  parables  of .  95 

Foes . 132,  180 

Folk-lore .  43 

Forensic  oration .  20 

Forerunner,  The . 165 

Forgiveness,  60,  242;  and  authority.  212 
Form:  Of  prophecy,  23;  of  the  syna¬ 
gogue,  32;  homiletical  effect  of 

theme  on  the,  64 ;  of  message .  185 

Form,  Variety  of:  Old  forms  height¬ 
ened,  257;  created  specialties .  258 

Formalism . 37,  119,  177,  221 

Formula:  For  quotation,  89;  for 

parables .  97 

Fragmentary  quotations .  89 

Fragmentary  reports . 65,  66 

Fragmentary  sayings:  25,  26;  Tem¬ 
ple,  30;  synagogue,  33;  table-talks, 

33;  reception  hall,  34;  open-air  35; 

according  to  periods .  68 

Fragmentary  sayings  and  miracles: 
Method,  115;  commendation  and 

censure,  116;  themes . 116 

Freedom . 52,  213 

Freshness,  His .  205 

Friends,  courage  toward,  180,  217; 

their  number .  275 

Friendship,  for  sinners,  177,  243;  for 
the  friendless . 177 


PAGE 


Fundamentals  of  thought .  221 

Future  Life,  The .  208 

Gadara .  255 

Galilee . 172,  262,  263,  264 

Galilee,  Parables  by  the  Sea  of .  96 

Gallic  hills .  17 

General  ideas  of  O.  T.  interpreted.  . .  87 

Generation,  message  to  his .  23 

Genesis .  90 

Gentiles:  Contact  with,  44,  164,  230, 

273;  and  Jews .  229 

Gentleness  of  His  preaching,  The  174-183 

Geography,  Questions  of .  68 

Germans .  16 


139,  155,  157,  163,’  168,  169,  209!  288 

Girdle .  136 

Gloria  in  Excelsis . .  ..  17 

God  and  Authority,  Relation  of: 
authority  from  God,  209;  depart¬ 
ure  from  prophetic  custom .  210 

God  of  the  Open  Air,  The .  35 

Gospels  written  after  His  death ....  189 


Graciousness,  Magnetic  power  of,  His  215 
Greek:  factor  in  preaching,  20;  dif¬ 
fusion  of,  21;  spoken  by  Jesus,  21, 

27,  188,  231;  philosophy  and  origi¬ 
nality .  196 

Greeks . 16,230,  275 

Grief,  homiletical  movement  in .  142 

Gropings  for  truth .  196 

Groups  of  parables:  according  to 
central  idea,  94;  according  to 
origin  of  illustration .  95 


Haggai .  23 

Hand,  homiletical  movement  of  the  141 

Harmony,  Problems  of . 65-68 

Hawthorne . 86 

Head-dress .  136 

Healer,  His  work  as .  173 

Healing:  miracles,  106;  homiletical 

movement  in .  140 

Heart:  touched  in  illustrations,  75; 

of  sympathy .  175 

Hebrew:  known  by  Jesus,  26;  culture  192 

Heir  of  the  ages .  210 

Heredity  and  originality:  Hebrew  in¬ 
heritance,  192;  more  than  product 
of  heredity,  196;  supreme  exalta¬ 
tion  .  193 

Heritage,  His . .  45 

Herod . 107,  216 

Herodians . 25,38,  123,  132 

Hispania .  17 

Historical  situations .  68 

Hittites .  15 

Holy  Spirit . 34,  40,  56,  101. 

156,  159,  189,  197,  198,  223.  278,  287 
Holy  Spirit,  Power  of  the:  In  Birth  of 
Jesus,  222;  in  experience  of  Jesus, 

223;  in  Words  of  Jesus .  225 

Home:  Contact  in,  44;  of  all  classes, 

33;  in  illustrations,  73;  Learned 

O.  T.  in .  83 

Home  Life  of  the  Preacher .  26 

Homer .  84 

Homiletics  of  Jesus  a  new  study. ...  14 

Homiletical  attitude,  His . 139-142 


INDEX 


313 


PAGE 

Homiletical  effect  of  His  themes, 

The:  on  substance,  63;  on  form.  .  .  64 

Homiletical  force:  of  dress,  135;  of 

parables . _ .  251 

Homiletical  method,  miracles  related 

to . 105-110 

Homiletical  observations  of  His 

Srayers:  the  records,  169;  his 

abits . .  169 

Homiletical  power  of  miracles .  220 

Homiletical  presentation,  Progress  of 
method  in:  places,  262;  discourse 
material,  263;  quotations,  264; 
parables,  265;  miracles,  267;  Sum¬ 


mary  of  Diagram .  267 

Homiletical  purpose,  Miracles  e- 

lated  to . 111-114 

Homiletical  value  of  parables. .  .  .97-102 

Hopkins,  Mark .  277 

Hosea . 23,  90 

Household,  Parables  of  the .  95 

Human  and  Divine,  Consciousness  of 
His  union  of:  both  essential,  143 

unity,  144;  fulness  of  both .  144 

Human  nature . 186 

Human  sonship .  211 

Humanity  and  divinity .  45 

Humanity  redeemed .  242 

Humble  origin  and  polemics:  On 
second  visit  to  Nazareth,  124;  mis¬ 
understood  by  companions,  124; 

at  Feast  of  Tabernacles .  125 

Humility . 60,  166 

Humor  and  irony,  Dramatic  force  of 

245-248 

Hyperbole .  81 

Hypocrites . 186,  216 


Ideal  of  success,  The  Preacher's.  . .  .  272 

Idealism,  His . . 147 

Illustrative  homiletics:  method  71; 

characteristics .  72 

Imagery,  Gentleness  of  His .  183 

Imagination,  His:  246;  religious  func¬ 
tion  of,  149;  dramatic,  149;  pic¬ 
torial,  150;  practical,  150;  gift  to 

humor  and  irony .  246 

Immortality . 208 

Imperative .  161 

Imperatives  of  authority:  commands, 

202;  specimens .  202 

Imperialism,  Roman . ,  16 

In  M emoriam . .  210 

Incarnation,  The . 45,  49,  57,  223 

Incarnation  of  truth .  281 

Incidental  approach .  48 

Individualism  of  His  preaching,  The 


235-244 

Individualized  Gospel,  An:  multi¬ 
tudes  for  congregations,  238;  spe¬ 
cialized  the  individual .  239 

Individualized  polemics:  common 
foes  combined,  132;  Pharisees,  133; 
common  people,  132;  formalists.  .  133 
Individuals  illustrating  universality  185 
Inductions  about  emotions:  normal 
life,  158;  purity,  158;  emotional 


optimism .  159 

Infirmity,  spirit  of .  109 

Inimitable  Preacher,  The .  288 


PAGE 

Initiative  of  the  will. . . .  207 

Inner  life  and  Holy  Spirit .  225 

Inorganic  world  in  miracles .  110 

Inquirers,  typical:  Nicodemus,  240; 

Samaritan  woman,  241;  rich  ruler  241 
Insight  into  audience:  Jesus’,  285; 

the  preacher’s .  285 

Inspiration  of  O.  T . 83-85 

Institutional  contact:  nationality, 

43;  theocracy,  44;  Hebrew  observ¬ 
ances,  44;  ministry  to  elect  nation, 

44;  humble  home,  44;  current  in¬ 
stitutions,  45:  places  and  cere¬ 
monials  of  worship,  45;  Messianic 

Hope .  46 

Instruction:  Purpose  of  synagogue, 

32;  to  beneficiaries,  107;  for  prayer  165 
Intellectual  contact:  The  approach, 

48;  the  content,  48;  purpose .  50 

Intellectual  content . . .  48 

Intellectual  Life,  His:  imagination, 

149;  concreteness,  150;  intuition, 

150;  positiveness,  151;  limitation  151 

Intercessory  prayers .  167 

Interpretation,  Schools  of,  24;  of 

parables,  94;  His .  167 

Interpreter  of  O.  T  ,  Jesus  the:  atti¬ 
tude  toward  current  methods,  86; 
general  ideas,  87;  special  passages  88 

Interpreters  of  O.  T .  24 

Interrogation:  Record  of  use,  76; 
permanent  feature,  76;  contained 
in  all  forms  of  address,  76;  message 
personalized,  77;  appropriate,  77; 


double  questions .  77 

Interrogatory:  258;  in  discourses 

with  miracles .  117 

Intuition,  His .  150 

Invectives . . . 47,  258 

Invitations:  accepted,  33;  gentleness 

of  his .  182 

Irony . 78,  245 

Isaiah . 23,  90,  195,  224 

Isolation .  43 

Israel . 119 

Issue  of  blood .  109 

Jacob’s  well .  Ill 

James . 11 

James .  158 

Janus,  Gates  of . 16 

Jeremiah . 23,  90 

Jericho . 96,  255 

Jerome .  138 

Jerusalem 


27,  96,  133,  172,  230,  255,  263,  271 
Jew  and  Gentile,  255;  universal  of 
Discipleship :  new  birth  a  condition 
of  kingdom,  229 ;  no  Jew  or  Gentile, 

229;  His  touch  of  Gentile  world..  .  230 


Jews,  dispersion  of .  32 

Joel  . .  24 

Johannine  discourses:  Temple,  31; 

material,  68;  conversations .  236 

John .  158 

John,  Gospel  of, 


58,  65,  90,  169,  236;  see  passages 
John  the  Baptist 

39,  58,  126,  223,  224,  228,  270 
Jonah . 23,  90,  106 


\ 


S14 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Jordan.  .  . .  163 

Joseph,  the  foster  father . 26,  27 

Joy,  51;  His .  225 

Joyful  Preacher,  The;  shared  com¬ 
mon  joys,  156;  characteristics  of. .  156 

Judaism . 164,  233,  273 

Judas . 252,  261 

Judea . 96,  231 

Judgment:  in  approach,  48;  on  im¬ 
penitent  by  parables .  100 

Justin  Martyr .  138 

Kant,  Trichotomy  of .  52 

Kenosis . 151 

King,  desire  to  make  Him .  41 

Kingdom  of  God  (or  heaven),  43, 177; 
a  chief  theme,  56;  use  of  term,  56; 
meaning,  57;  parables  of.  .  .  .57,  94,  98 
Kingship,  Power  of:  His  Messianic 
consciousness.  219:  his  Messianic 
attestation,  219;  his  Messianic 

recognition .  220 

Kinship  of  sendee .  55 

Knowledge,  His . 185,  243 

Lamb  of  God .  172 

Lameness .  109 

Lament  over  Jerusalem .  79 

Lanier,  Sidney,  quoted .  250 

Landor,  quoted .  135 

Languages  of  Jesus . 21,  26,  27,  71 

Laws  of  Israel . 31,  44,  90,  146 

La  Saisiaz .  47 

Lawyers . 24,  236 

Lazarus . 156,  157,  175 

Leadership  of  Holy  Spirit .  287 

League  with  evil . 127,  225 

Legend  about  Thanksgiving .  167 

Lepers,  law  for  cleansed .  90 

Leprosy .  109 

Lessing,  quoted .  135 

Levi .  34 

Leviticus . 90,  132 

Likeness  of  Jesus:  No  authentic,  137; 
artistic  types,  137;  patristic  views, 

137;  the  intangible  greatness .  138 

Limitation  His  intellectual :  His  own 
confession,  151;  errors  not  cited, 

152;  great  mystery .  152 

Limited  authority:  by  the  soul’s  right 
of  choice.  212;  by  Jesus’  life-plan.  .  213 
Limits  of  His  Themes:  horizon  of 
experience,  61 ;  subjects  of  supreme 
value,  61;  topics  primarily  re¬ 
ligious  .  62 

Literalism .  87 

Literary  Form  of  Parables,  97;  dra¬ 
matic .  251 

Literary  preparation  of  the  world: 
Grseco-Roman  oratory,  19;  He¬ 
brew  oratory .  20 

Literary  problems .  67 

Livy .  19 

Logia  of  Jesus,  The .  73 

Lord’s  Prayer,  The .  165 

Lordship  of  Jesus,  The . 60,  207 

Lot’s  wife .  90 

Lover  of  Men,  The:  ideal  lover,  150; 
characteristics  of  his  love,  153;  re¬ 
turn  of  love . 154 


PAGE 

Lowell,  quoted .  206 

Lowly,  The  Knight  of  the.  . .  178 

Luke,  Gospel,  68,  69,  98,  169,  274;  see 
passages. 

Maccabean  struggles .  123 

Macedonia .  15 

Magadan .  131 

Magnetism,  Power  of  personal.  .214,  215 

Magnificat,  The .  26 

Malachi . 23,  24,  90 

Malcontents  in  the  Empire .  18 

Manhood,  His  full .  45 

Manifesto  of  the  King,  The . 49,  145 

Mark,  see  passages. 

Martha . 34,  116,  236 

Mary.  . .  34 

Mary,  His  mother . 26,  27,  181 

Marj^  Magdalene . 236,  237 

Mastership,  His .  207 

Masters .  24 

Mastery  of  audience,  Hie .  41 

Matthew .  126 

Matthew,  Gopsel  of:  see  passages. 

Mediating  critic .  67 

Meetings  of  synagogue .  32 

Memory  aided  by  simplicity .  189 

Men  and  authority,  Relation  of:  Jesus 
the  heir  of  the  ages,  210;  answered 
cries  of  need,  211;  full  human  son- 

ship  .  211 

Men,  A  Preacher  to .  227 

Mental  life,  His .  71 

Message,  The:  imparted,  62;  reflec¬ 
tion  of  experience,  63;  Christo- 
centric,  63;  and  simplicity,  184; 

adapted  to  simple  folk .  189 

Message  and  authority:  divine  and 
universal,  208;  preparatory  to 

eternal  life .  208 

Message  from  God:  Jesus’,  280;  later 

preacher’s . 281 

Message,  Norm-value  related  to  the 

280-283 

Message,  Universal  of . .231-233 

Messiahship . 31,  56,  57,  242,  270 

Messianic  attestation,  Power  of  His  219 
Messianic  consciousness,  Power  of  His  219 
Messianic  Hope,  The:  172,  194;  cur¬ 
rent  ideals,  36,  46;  Jesus’  view.  .  .  46 

Messianic  recognition,  Power  of  His  220 
Messianic  vocation,  His;  His  ap¬ 
preciation  of,  27;  and  the  Son  of 
Man,  57;  consciousness  of.  .  .  .144,  145 
Messianism:  Created  by  O.  T.,  122; 
current  ideals,  123;  attacked  by 
Jesus,  123 ;  shared  by  the  Twelve .  .  123 

Metaphor . 72,  80,  258 

Method  of  His  individualism:  use  of 
the  casual,  237;  the  call  of  need, 

238;  an  individualized  gospel, 

238;  the  dramatic  moment,  239; 

typical  inquirers .  240 

Method,  Originality  in . 196,  197 

Method  in  His  preaching,  The  prog¬ 
ress  of . 262-271 

Methods  of  expression :  Jesus  used  the 
best,  283;  the  preacher’s  desire  for 

the  best .  283 

Methods  of  Jesus,  The . 203 


INDEX 


315 


PAGE 


Micah .  23 

Milton .  84 


Ministry  of  Jesus,  The:  Oriental 
form,  13;  three  aspects  of,  13; 
periods  of,  67;  prayer  for  its  in¬ 
ception,  163;  progress  of  method  in  263 

Minor  themes,  His . . 60 

Miracles  related  to  His  preaching, 

The . 105-117 

Miracles:  None  in  Temple,  31;  and 
parables,  96;  and  polemics,  134; 
anger  for,  157;  accessories  in  origi¬ 
nality,  196;  through  Holy  Spirit, 

224;  oratorical  specialties,  258; 
progress  in  presentation,  265; 

training  value . 277 

Miracles  correlated  to  authority..  .  .  211 
Miracles,  dramatic  force  of,  .  .  .  .250,  251 
Miracles,  power  of:  Physico-spiritual, 

220;  homiletical .  220 

Miracles,  Listed . .  .  .301-303 

1.  Water  turned  into  wine  44,  110,  113 

2.  Nobleman’s  son . 108,236 

3.  Draught  of  fish .  22 

4.  Demoniac . 108,  165,  235 

5.  Peter's  mother-in-law 

108,  112,  140,  165 

6.  Leper.  .107,  108,  140,  157,  163,  235 

7.  Paralvtic 

108,  113,  127,  131,  163,  212,  235 

8.  Impotent  man 

108,  129,  115,  127,  236 

9.  Man  with  withered  hand 

108,  129,  157,  235 

10.  Centurion’s  servant 

108,  157,  230, 235 

11.  Son  of  widow  of  Nain 

108,  140,  235,  248 

12.  Blind-dumb  demoniac. .  . .  108,  134 

13.  Stilling  the  storm .  110 

14.  Two  demoniacs.  .  107,  108,  249,  261 

15.  Woman  with  issue  of  blood 

107,  108,  175,  206,  220,  235,  252 

16.  Daughter  of  Jairus 

108,  109,  140,  235 

17.  Two  blind  men.  .107,  108,  140,  157 

18.  Dumb  demoniac .  127 

19.  Feeding  the  five  thousand 

110,  111,  141,  166,  176,  274,  275 

20.  Walking  on  water .  110 

21.  Syrophcenician  daughter 

44,  108,  111,  176, 230, 236 

22.  Deaf-dumb  man . 107,  108 

23.  Feeding  the  four  thousand 

110,  111,  274 

24.  Blind  man . 107,  108,  109,  236 

25.  Demoniac  boy.  .  .  108,  140,  236,  277 

26.  Shekel  in  fish’s  mouth 

22,  108,  111,  176 

27.  Blind  man . 108,  109,  129,  141 

28.  Woman  with  infirmity 

108,  129,  134,  140,  236 

29.  Dropsical  man 

108,  129,  134,  140,  236 

30.  Lazarus _ 108,  112,  175,  248,  275 

31.  Ten  lepers . 107,  108,  109 

32.  Bartimseus  and  blind  man 

108,  140,  229 

33.  Fig-tree  cursed . 109,  110 

34.  Malchus’  ear . 108,  141 


PAGE 

Mission  and  authority . 208,  209 

Moment  of  vitality,  The:  Jesus  knew 

this  moment,  251;  examples .  252 

Monologue  in  preaching .  40 

Morals  of  Rome .  18 

More .  242 


Moses . 31,  90,  146,  195 

Motives:  Jesus’,  159;  known  to  Him  275 
Movements,  Homiletical:  voice,  140; 
healing  and  benediction,  140;  value 
of  touch,  141;  the  eye  and  the 


hand,  141;  grief  and  emotion .  142 

Multitudes  for  congregations . 238 

Murder .  88 


Nain . 108,  255 

Nathanael . 57,  236 

Nationalism:  monopoly  of  blessings, 

118;  vocation  of  Israel,  119;  formal¬ 
ism  in  piety,  119;  attitude  of  Jesus  119 

Nationalist .  123 

Nationality,  Contact  in .  43 

Nations,  individuality  of .  186 

Natural  translated  into  spiritual.  ...  186 

Nature  miracles . 106,  112,  301-303 

Nazareth . 26,  27,  37,  44,  202,  255 

Nazarite .  139 

Need,  The  call  of .  238 

Needs,  Adaptation  to  supreme,  218; 

cries  of .  211 

Nehemiah .  25 

Nervous  disorders  in  miracles .  109 

New  birth .  120,  198,  225,  229,  242 

Nicodemus . 228,  229,  236,  240,  261 

Nineveh .  90 

Noah .  90 

Non-critical,  Jesus .  148 

Non-Jewish  forces . .  . .  .  195 

Norm  of  inspiration .  85 

Norm- value  of  His  preaching,  The 

280-288 

Numbers,  Book  of . . . .  90 

Numbers,  Success  of. . .  .273-275 


Obadiah .  23 

Obedience,  Law  of .  52 

Observances,  Contact  in  Hebrew ...  44 

Observant,  Jesus .  146 

Occasion,  Themes  selected  through  54,  55 
Occasions,  Variety  of,  254-256; 

adaptation  to .  218 

Old  forms  heightened .  257 

Old  Testament  in  His  preaching,  The, 

82-92 

Old  Testament,  The:  Hebrew  sacred 
literature,  82;  historical  inception, 

120;  primary  purpose,  120;  bibli- 
olatry,  121;  Jesus  regard  for.  .121,  195 

Olivet .  96 

Open-air,  God’s:  audience  chamber, 

34;  fragmentary  sayings,  35;  dis¬ 
courses . _. .  35 

Opportunity  with  audience,  Norm- 

value  of . 284 

Opportunity,  Power  of  adaptation 

to . 217,  218 

Opposition:  163,  271;  Sadducees,  37; 

Pharisees .  37 

Optimism,  His .  159 


316 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Oration:  political,  20;  forensic,  20; 


declamatory .  20 

Oratorical  commonplaces  in  humor 

and  irony .  245 

Oratorical  polemics .  135 

Oratory,  Graeco-Roman . 19-21 

Oratory,  Hebrew . 21-23 

Orient,  Simple  life  of  the .  188 

Originality,  His . 87,  192 

Orthodoxy,  His . 172 

Outlook,  His:  upon  nature,  81;  upon 

men,  81 ;  originality  of .  200 

Ovid . 19 

Palestine . 16,  227 

Parable  germs . . 94,  97 

Parables  in  His  preaching,  The. .  .93-104 
Parables,  listed . 299-300 

1.  The  sower . 74,  95,  97,  98 

2.  The  tares .  95 

3.  The  seed  growing . 95,  98 

4.  The  mustard  seed . 95,  98 

5.  The  leaven. .  .  . . 95,  98 

6.  The  hid  treasure . . 94,  95 

7.  The  goodly  pearl . 94,  95 

8.  The  net . 95 


9.  The  unmerciful  servant  95,  96,  251 
10.  The  good  Samaritan 

31,  95,  96,  134,  173,  198,  251 
11  The  midnight  friend 

95,  96,  170,  251 

12.  The  rich  fool . 95,  251 

13.  The  watchful  servants .  95 

14.  The  barren  fig-tree .  95 

15.  The  chief  seats . 95,  96,  134 

16.  The  great  supper.  .95,  96,  134,  251 

17.  The  rash  builder .  95 

18  The  rash  king .  95 

19.  The  lost  sheep . 49,  96,  134,  218 

20.  The  lost  coin . 49,  95,  134,  218 

21.  The  lost  son 

48,  75,  95,  101  102,  134  183,  218,  251 
22-  The  unrighteous  steward 

95,  96,  134 

23.  The  rich  man  and  Lazarus 

95,  96,  134,  251 

24.  The  unprofitable  servants .  .  .  95,  96 

25.  The  unrighteous  judge.  .  .  .95,  170 

26.  The  Pharisee  and  publican 

30  31.  95,  169 

27.  The  aborers  in  vineyard ....  95,  96 

28.  The  pounds . 95,  96,  98 

29.  The  two  sons . 95,  134 

30.  The  wicked  husbandmen 

94,  95,  98,  251 

31.  The  royal  marriage . 94,  134 

32.  The  fig-tree  leafing.  .95,  96,  97,  98 

33.  The  ten  virgins . 95,  96,  251 

34.  The  ten  talents  95,  96,  97,  102,  251 
Parables:  temple,  31;  of  the  King¬ 
dom,  94;  of  personal  experience, 

95;  created  oratorical  specialties.  .  258 
Parables,  Dramatic  force  of,  251; 
progress  in  homiletical  presenta¬ 


tion . 266,  267 

Paradise  Lost .  150 

Paradox .  81 

Paralysis .  109 

Paranomasia .  81 

Parthians .  16 


PAGE 

Passion  Week:  Temple  ministry,  30; 
interrogations,  76;  parables 

96,  98,  263,  264 

Passover,  The . 44,  97 

Pathos .  75 

Patriotism,  His . .  44 

Patristic  views  of  His  portrait .  137 

Pattison .  11 

Paul .  18 

Peace,  universal .  17 

Pedagogical  presentation:  progress  of 
method  in,  268-271;  selection  of 
parables,  102;  purpose  of  parables  267 

Pedagogy  of  Jesus .  14 

Penetration  of  thought .  221 

Pentecost .  275 

People,  The  common:  sympathy 
with  Jesus,  39;  in  polemics.  . .  .133,  275 
Perea, 255;  parables, 96, 126;  polemics  133 
Periods :  of  prophecy,  23 ;  of  ministry, 

67;  for  parables .  97 

Person,  originality:  endowment,  199; 
self-communication,  199;  Christ- 

ology .  198 

Persons  approached  in  His  individu¬ 
alism:  all  sorts  and  conditions,  235; 

subordinate  figures . .  137 

Personal  Appeal  in  Miracles.  .  .  .113,  114 
Personal-delivery  element  in  His 

preaching,  The . 135-142 

Personality,  Authority  of,  205,  207; 

Universal  of . . . 233,  234 

Persuasion . 79,  113 

Peter,  Simon.... 34,  116,  142,  145, 

157,  164,  177,  180,  235,  252,  270 

Pharisaism . 47,  59,  63,  147,  172,  179 

Pharisees  . 25,  37,  106,  123,  132 

177,  185,  194,  204,  255,  269 

Philip . ...... . 236 

Phraseology  and  simplicity .  .  . .  187 

Physical  accompaniments  in  miracles 

108,  109 

Physician,  The  loving . . .  176 

Physico-spiritual  power  of  miracles .  .  220 
Pictorial  selection  of  parables,  102; 

imagination . .  150 

Pictures:  word,  72;  indicating  sim¬ 
plicity  . 186 

Pilate . 236 

Pitcher,  man  with . .  . .  22 

Places,  Progress  in  presentation,  262; 
city  and  country  reached,  262; 
general  plan,  263;  reason  for  ab¬ 
sence  from  Judea .  263 

Plato . , .  242 

Poetic  nature,  His .  81 

Poets,  inspiration  of .  84 

Polemical:  use  of  O.  T.,  91;  purpose 
of  parables,  100,  266;  strategy,  252; 

variety  by  purpose. .  257 

Polemics  of  His  preaching,  The.  .118—134 

Political  oration .  20 

Political  preparation  of  the  world: 
ancient  distribution  of  nations,  15; 
philosophy  of  history,  15;  N.  T. 
nations,  15;  Roman  world  and  im¬ 
perialism .  15 

Pompey .  16 

Popularity,  His:  widespread,  125; 
basis  for  hatred .  125 


INDEX 


317 


PAGE 

Portrait  of  Jesus . 137 

Portrait  of  Jesus  in  individualism: 
approachableness,  242;  knowledge 
of  men,  243;  tenderness,  243; 

friendship  for  sinners .  243 

Positiveness,  His  intellectual .  151 

Posture,  Homiletical:  for  preaching, 

139;  for  prayer .  139 

Power  of  His  preaching,  The.  .  .  .214-226 
Power  and  authority  related  to  origi¬ 
nality:  His  new  note,  197;  its  ef¬ 
fects . 197 

Prayer,  Jesus  as  a  Man  of:  His 
prayers,  162-168;  His  teaching 

about  prayer .  169 

Prayer,  His  teaching  about:  the  true 
spirit,  169;  the  subjects,  170;  con¬ 
ditions,  170;  answers .  170 

Prayer:  before  miracles,  110;  posture 

in,  139;  to  whom  addressed .  170 

Preacher,  The  preparation  of  the: 
home  life,  26;  education,  26;  silent 
years,  27 ;  consciousness  of  the 

divine . 27-29 

Preacher  of  the  O.  T.,  Jesus  the.  ...  88 

Preacher  and  His  themes.  The.  .  .  .62,  63 
Preacher,  The:  method  as  worker, 

173;  His  life  and  simplicity,  190; 

broad .  233 

Preachers,  Later:  authority,  203; 

message,  281 ;  insight,  285;  methods  283 
Preaching:,  differentiated  from  ora¬ 
tory,  20;  posture  for,  139;  affected 

by  His  birth .  222 

Prediction:  of  prophets,  22;  of  Jesus  22 
Preparation  for  His  preaching,  The  13-28 

Presentation  and  simplicity .  186 

Priesthood  of  believers .  198 

Priests:  chief,  132,  270;  profaning 

Temple . 90 

Primacy  of  spiritual  life . 62,  218 

Processes  in  miracles .  108 

Progress  of  method  in  His  preaching, 

The . 262-271 

Progressive  appreciation  of  themes .  .  55 

Prologue  of  John . 152,  209 

Prophet:  office,  21;  predictions,  22; 

guaranteed,  22;  and  the  preacher, 

22;  divisions  in  time,  23;  form  of 
message,  23;  and  the  poets,  84;  in¬ 
spired,  84,  85;  His  departure  from  210 

Prot-evangelium,  The .  121 

Proverbs,  Book  of .  84 

Proverbs . 79 

Provincialism .  18 

Psalms . 90,  132 

Psychology  of  Jesus  in  His  preach¬ 
ing,  The . 143-161 

Psychology:  of  religion,  47;  of  in¬ 
spiration .  85 

Psycho-therapeutics .  110 

Pulpit  created . 13,  14,  19,  280 

Pulpit  preparatory  to  the  cross .  278 

Purpose,  Authority  of,  208;  in  in¬ 
tellectual  contact,  50;  variety  of 

256,  257 

Quotations  of  O.  T.,  Method  of.  .  .89-91 
Quotations,  258,  296—298;  progress 
in  presentation .  264 


PAGE 

Rabbinical  methods .  203 

Rabbinical  school  not  attended  by 

Jesus .  26 

Rabbis .  24 

Reading  Scriptures . 88,  172 

Realm  affected  by  miracles .  110 

Recognition,  Power  of  Messianic ....  220 

Recreation,  His .  33 

Redemption . 49,  186 

Regularity  in  worship,  His .  171 

Rejection .  157 

Relations,  Authority  of:  to  God,  209; 

to  men .  210 

Religion  of  Jesus  in  His  preaching, 

the  personal . .  .  162-173 

Religion  and  life .  282 

Religio-social  contact:  institutional, 

43 ;  experiential .  46 

Religious  Preparation  of  the  World 

24,  25 

Repartee .  246 

Repentance . 232 

Repetitions . 68,  80 

Response  to  Need,  Miracles  the.  .  .  .  Ill 

Rest  call,  The  world’s . 101,  230 

Results,  Variety  of .  260 

Results  and  simplicity .  187 

Results  in  success,  The  Preacher’s.  .  273 

Resurrection . 22,  59,  253 

Retaliation . 88 

Retirement .  163 

Revelation:  His  message  a,  48;  and 
inspiration,  85;  to  simple  folk.  .  .  .  188 

Reverent,  Jesus .  147 

Rhetorical  form  of  His  preaching, 

The . 71-81 

Ruler,  rich . 207,  236,  241 

Rich  and  poor .  17 

Right  conduct .  51 

Righteousness .  58 

Robber,  penitent . .  ,  252 

Roman  world . 16,  17 

Rulers,  Courage  toward .  216 

Sabbath,  The . 60,  116,  117,  129, 

131,  134,  172,  194,  212 

Sabbath  healings .  128 

Sacrifice,  Temple  service  for .  29 

Sadducees.  .25,  36,  37,  106,  123,  132,  255 
Salvation:  Universal  of,  231;  the  unit 

of .  241 

Samaria . 96,  230 

Samaritan  woman  232,  236,  238,  241,  270 

Samuel .  23 

Sandals .  136 

Sanhedrin . 57,  58,  125 

Sarcasm .  78 

Satan 

53,  60,  91,  149,  163,  166,  176,  160,  180 
Saviourhood  50,  51,  55,  59,  146,  160, 

161,  168,  175,  190,  193,  213,  250, 

252,  278 

Saviour,  The  competent .  234 

School,  Jesus  at .  83 

Schrenck .  11 

Scope  of  the  miracles . 109,  110 

Scribes . 24,  38,  132,  177,  204 

Scriptures  and  originality:  extent  of 
His  use,  195:  not  expository,  195; 
went  beyond  O,  T .  195 


S18 


INDEX 


PAGE 

Scriptures:  Hebrew  taught,  24;  His 
honor  for,  44;  and  polemics,  134; 

value  of .  205 

Secondary  evidence  of  miracles .  113 

Secret  of  miracles,  Jesus’ .  110 

Sects .  25 

Seer,  The.., .  21 

Selection  of  parables,  His  principle  of 

102,  103 

Selection  of  themes .  54 

Selective  grace,  Gentleness  of  the.  .  .  181 

Self-assertion  and  authority . 205,  206 

Self-communication  and  originality  199 

Self-control,  His .  160 

Self-giving:  in  prayer,  165;  in  au¬ 
thority .  206 

Self-manifestation .  270 

Self-sacrifice,  His .  253 

Sensitized  soul,  The .  239 

Septuagint,  The .  83 

Serenity,  His .  126 

Service:  Greatness  through,  198; 

through  sacrifice .  286 

Seventy,  The . 149,  156,  225,  275 

Shadows,  Gentleness  of  the  dispelled  183 

Shakespeare . 84,  239 

Sheba,  Queen  of . 90,  106 

Shepherd,  The  Good .  98 

Shepherd  life,  parables  of .  95 

Shirt .  136 

Showbread . 90,  91 

Sign:  Demand  for,  106;  and  polemics  130 

Silence  and  polemics .  130 

Silent  years,  Preparation  from  the. .  27 

Siloam,  Pool  of .  109 

Simile . 72,  80,  258 

Similitude .  97 

Simon  the  leper .  34 

Simon  the  Pharisee . 126,  235 

Simple  to  complex,  From . 268,  269 

Simple  folk  and  simplicity . 188,  189 

Simplicity  of  His  preaching,  The  184-191 

Simplicity  in  illustrations .  74 

Sin,  Universal  of .  231 

Single  and  complex  accounts .  69 

Sinlessness,  His:  in  character,  148;  in 

worship .  171 

Sinner,  Gentleness  toward  the .  177 

Sinner:  The  Knight  of  the,  179; 

friendship  for .  243 

Sin  and  righteousness .  58 

Sin  and  suffering  related  to  miracles  114 

Sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost .  127 

Sins  of  Rome .  18 

Skull,  The  Place  of  the . 209,  253 

Slavery .  17 

Social  preparation  of  the  world ....  17-19 
Social:  contact  in  classes,  44;  para¬ 
bles  of  social  order,  95;  extremes  in 

congregations,  228;  salvation . 242 

Social  contact,  Religio- . 43-47 

Socratic  method,  The .  76 

Sodom .  90 

Solomon .  90 

Solomon’s  Porch .  31 

Son  of  man,  A  chief  theme Gospel 
references,  57;  Jesus’  meaning.  ...  57 

Sorrow  aroused .  51 

Sorrows,  The  Man  of:  175,  209;  fel¬ 
lowship,  154,  personal .  155 


PAGE 

Sovereign  soul,  The . 213 

Special  O.  T.  passages  interpreted. .  18 

Spectacular,  Miracles  not .  106 

Speech,  Gentleness  of  His:  tone  182,  183 

Speech,  Universal  of .  231 

Spirituality,  His:  O.  T.  a  factor,  86; 

in  worship .  172 

Spontaneity  of  composition .  54 

Stalker .  H 

Standard  of  success,  The . 272,  273 

Stoic .  19 

Stone  Him,  Desire  to .  128 

Stone  Face,  The  Great .  86 

Strategy,  Dramatic  force  of . 251-253 

Student  of  the  O.  T.,  Jesus  the.  . .  .83-86 

Submission .  161 

Subordinate  figures . 237 

Substance,  Homiletical  effect  of 

themes  on .  63 

Success  of  His  preaching,  The.  .  .272-279 
Suffering:  His  foretold,  22;  related 
to  sin,  114;  Pharisaical  indiffer¬ 
ence  to,  178;  Jesus’  regard  for.  .  .  .  178 

Sychar . . 255,  270 

Sympathy,  His  heart  of,  175;  through 

temptation .  175 

Sympathy  of  audience .  39 

Synagogues,  audience  chamber:  nat¬ 
ural  preaching  place,  31;  style  of 
building,  32;  service,  32;  meetings, 

32;  instruction,  32;  material  found 

in,  32;  Jesus’  ministry  in .  33 

Synagogues . 25,  32,  83,  172 

Synoptic  discourses:  material  dis¬ 
tributed,  68;  single  and  complex 

accounts .  69 

Synoptics . 31,  57,  58,  68,  169,  235 

Syria .  274 

Tabernacles,  The  Feast  of, 

44,  97,  125,  127,  225,  271 

Teacher . . . 14,  24 

Teaching  and  preaching .  14 

Tears  of  Jesus . 147,  156 

Temple-tax . Ill,  172 

Temple,  audience  chamber:  classes 
met,  29;  general  reference,  30; 
fragmentary  sayings,  30;  dis¬ 
courses  .  31 

Temple,  cleansing .  130 

Temptation . 91,  145,  163,  166,  175 

Tenderness,  His .  243 

Tennyson,  quoted .  210 

Tertullian .  138 

Testimony  of  crowds .  274 

Text  of  O.  T.;  Jesus',  83;  followed  in 

quotations .  89 

Thanksgiving .  166 

Theocracy  contact  through .  44 

Theology  of  His  individualism.  .  .241,  242 
Themes  of  His  preaching,  The. .  .  .54—64 
Themes  of  fragmentary  sayings  with 

miracles .  116 

Thomas . 236,  237 

Thought,  Power  of  His .  221 

Thus  saith  the  Lord . 85,  210 

Time  element,  Problem  of  harmony 

in . 67,  68 

Toiling  of  Felix,  The .  73 

Tomb . 59 


INDEX 


S19 


PAGE 

Tone,  His:  of  authority,  201,  gentle¬ 
ness  of . •.••••. . 

Topical  polemics:  nationalism,  118; 

bibliolatry,  120;  Messianism .  122 

Touch,  homiletical  value  of .  141 

Traditionalism . 37,  87,  128,  172,  203 

Tragedy,  Dramatic  force  of . 248,  249 

Tragedy,  observed:  defined,  248; 
raising  son  of  widow  of  Nain,  248; 
raising  Lazarus,  248;  Gadarene 

demoniacs . . . .  249 

Tragedy,  Personalized:  of  rejection, 

249;  of  the  broken  heart,  249;  of 
preparation  for  Saviourhood,  250; 

of  the  cross . 250 

Training  Apostolate,  Success  in  276,  277 
Training:  progress  in,  269:  force  of 

parables  in . _ .  101 

Transcendence  and  originality .  192 

Transfiguration,  The . 164,  261 

Transgressors  denounced .  78 

Travel . . . 17,  18 

Trial,  His .  57 

Trinity,  The .  53 

Triumphal  entry,  The . 156,  261 

Tri-unity  of  life,  The .  52 

Trustworthiness  of  the  Gospels: 
fundamental  assumption,  66 ;  types 
of  criticism,  66;  literary  problems  67 
Truth:  interpreted  by  each  age,  13; 
told  in  gentle  firmness,  181 ;  in  in¬ 
dividualism  .  242 

Turban .  137 

Twelve,  The _ 26,  39,  164,  251,  275,  276 


Unaltered  purpose .  180 

Unfolding  truth .  268 

Union  of  human  and  divine :  His  con¬ 
sciousness  of,  143;  the  fact.  .....  144 

Unity  of  His  consciousness . .  144 

Universality  and  spirituality.  .  .  .  185,  186 

Universals  of  His  preaching,  The  227-234 

Universal  message .  208 

Utopias . 200,  242 

Value  of  soul .  218 

Vandals . 66 

Van  Dyke,  quoted . 35,  73,  214 

Variety  of  His  preaching.  The.  .  .254-261 
Variety:  of  characters,  219;  of  con¬ 
versations . 235 

Verily,  verily .  210 

Vernacular,  Greek .  21 

Via  Dolorosa . 163,  209 

Virgin  Birth,  The .  222 

Vision  of  Sir  Launfal,  The .  206 

Vocation  of  Israel .  119 

Vocation,  Messianic . 27,  57,  144,  145 

Voice:  homiletical  movement  of  the, 

140;  power  of  delivery  by .  216 

Volitional  contact.  .  . . . 52,  53 

Volitional  life,  His . 159-161 


PAGE 


Water  of  life .  242 

Well  balanced . 146 

Wept,  Jesus . 147,  156 

Widow  and  her  gift .  55 

Wilkinson. .  11 

Will,  The:  contact  in,  52,  53;  of 

Jesus . 159 

Woman,  penitent . 185,  235,  236 

Womanhood,  The  Knight  of.  .  .  .179,  180 

Word  of  God .  85 


Word  study  of  miracles:  classifica¬ 
tion,  105;  numbers .  106 

Words  of  Jesus,  Power  of  H.  S.  in  the  225 

Worker,  Jesus  as  a  religious .  173 

World,  Preparation  of  the:  political, 

15;  social,  17;  literary',  19;  religious  24 

World-epoch,  New .  200 

World-field,  The .  230 

World-speech .  186 

Worship . 52,  233 

Worshipper,  Jesus  as  a:  sinlessness 


171,  172 


Worshippers  in  Temple .  29 

Wrath  of  God . 157 

Writing,  His .  141 


Zacchseus  34,  185,  228,  229,  236,  252,  261 


Zachariah . . . 90,  146 

Zarephath  (Sarepta) . .  90 

Zechariah . . . 33,  90 


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